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sick bird help

17 years ago

any ideas what might be wrong with this little guy? He can fly, but staying in that bush and keeps going back to it. He drinks, eaten a little, stays alone and is in a place the chickadees don't hang out. He's neurotically cleaning his beak and shaking out his feathers. I can't find anything that I can say this sickness may be. He is not wet but looks like he got caught in an oil slick. I though parasite but unless he's new here it happened overnight. Any advice is appreciated.

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Comments (5)

nva_birdcrazy
17 years ago
It does look like he got caught in an oil slick. Perhaps he got in to a chemical of some type. If there's a way to catch him, then you could get him to a rehabber who could help him (hopefully) recover! I don't know how to advise that you catch him, but maybe some other folks will have an idea.
Elly_NJ
17 years ago
I agree.
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As someone that has dealt with 2 rounds of this, let me say I am sorry, I know how hard it is to watch. I have had to deal with dozens of finches and siskins die. I took a sampling of them to a rehabber who in turn sent them to the State for reports. I did work with the rehabber and try to treat some of them with no luck. Because it is warm and natural food is plentiful I would defiantly take down all the feeders. If it were the dead of winter (when my 2 bouts have happened) I would give different advise. Hopefully this will slow it down. They will still congregate on natural foods. One good thing is that this is happening early enough that it should run it's course before supplemental feeding is really needed. Keeping spillage under the feeders clean is also very important. As hard as it sounds this happens and there's not much we can do. It will pass and the spices will not be wiped out for good though your numbers may be down for a year or two. In the winter I went to covering the ground of each feeding station with fresh snow and cleaning each feeder daily. I don't know that it did any good. I think it just runs it's course. At this time of year I think not feeding is the best option.
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laylaa
Original Author
17 years ago
I was thinking it might be some sort of lice or mites, but don't know. So far there is no way I'll catch him but will see what the story is today. Guess I'll know if it's a parasite if other birds display the same symptoms but fortunately not so far.

Gah, it's been a bad year for birds for me! I've seen stuff I've never seen in years of bird watching. Guess that makes me lucky that I've lasted this long trouble free.
greenjean7bga
17 years ago
Oh My laylaa,

You have had rough birding year.

I noticed you posted this yesterday. Have you caught the Chickadee yet? Did you find a Bird Rescue place near you? I know that there are several in GA.

Please keep us updated.

Jean
NW GA
laylaa
Original Author
17 years ago
Jean - I lost him. He stayed around for two days but there was no way to catch him. Temperatures were at 21Âº so I am sure he froze, poor thing. I put a small bath where he was hanging out but he wouldn't get in. Other chickadees did but not him. I still have no idea what was wrong with him - I did not find a body.

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