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Moore Reid said there isn’t a lot that can be done to nurse the little birds back to health.
“Due to the severity of the outbreak, none of the siskins have survived so far,” Moore Reid said Friday. “It’s a severe disease and survival rates are low.”
Salmonella attacks the digestive system, making it difficult for the birds to feed, and is transmitted by fecal contamination of food and water as well as contact with other birds, according to the rescue association.
The affected pine siskins appear fluffed up and lethargic.
Since bird feeders and baths can quickly spread the disease, people are asked to remove them or regularly clean them with soap and water, and then a 10 per cent bleach solution, before rinsing and drying.
They also caution that salmonella is contagious to humans and pets, and that seeds and droppings should be carefully cleaned up and disposed of.
Pine siskins range throughout Canada all year, often in large numbers, and have sporadic migration habits. Birdwatchers say some years there are huge flocks, while they are rarely seen in other years.
Read more Island news at timescolonist.com
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