Washington state is a diverse environment that holds large variety of wildlife. This state is home to more than five hundred species of birds each of which provide a crucial function to the ecosystem. Birds have been increasingly affected by the climate change that is plaguing our planet, yet they also have to deal with navigating an urban environment that has replaced their natural habitat. 

Hundreds of millions of birds strike windows each year. During the day, birds cannot see the glass due to the reflections of the sky and clouds on the windows. Many will continue their flight path into the windows. They often view indoor plants or vegetation near windows as possible perches. During the night, nocturnal birds are drawn to light and will crash into windows that are illuminated. Fog and night lights have caused diversions in the migration paths of nocturnal birds and as a result birds strike windows at higher rates during migratory and breeding periods.

Window strikes are dangerous to birds causing damage to the body and the brain.. Even if a bird is just stunned by the collision and can fly away; they can still die later from internal bleeding or trauma on the brain. They can break wings, legs or other bones which is very difficult to recover from because their bones are thin. 

To help eliminate this problem here are a few ideas to “bird proof” your windows and even add a little decoration to them. First, identify high risk windows. These are usually windows that reflect the sky or trees and have any vegetation that can be viewed from the outside.

• Ensure that bird feeders are away from the windows or are near windows that are covered and don’t reflect the sky or trees. You can add decals that deter birds from crashing into them.

• Tempera paint or soap can be used to paint patterns that are not only helpful for birds to recognize that there is something there, but can also be used as decoration.

• Stickers, tape or even sticky notes that are spaced close together can be put on the inside of the windows. Curtains can also be put up to deter birds. 

• Screens and small mesh netting on the outside of windows block birds from seeing reflections on the windows. 

• Shutters, sun shades, awnings or vertical blinds can be used as more permanent solutions.
   

Many of these prevention measures can be purchased through Amazon. To further support the preservation of these small birds, visit AmazonSmile while buying these items and at no extra charge you can choose Puget Sound WildCare as your charity of choice. We will receive a donation from Amazon for any purchase you make.  You can find more information at the bottom of this newsletter.  

If a small bird does hit your window, before calling a wildlife rehabilitation center check to see if it is visibly injured. Sometimes, if it is just dazed it will recover on it’s own with a few hours. If there is a visible injury such as a broken wing, place it in a box and call around to your local rehabilitator. 

For more information, check out the links below! 

https://wdfw.wa.gov/get-involved/educational-resources/birding#

https://www.fws.gov/birds/bird-enthusiasts/backyard/bird-problems.php#3a

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/why-birds-hit-windows-and-how-you-can-help-prevent-it/

The Pine Siskin is a small songbird with brown and yellow streaks. They are most commonly found in evergreen or deciduous forest with open canopies. Pine Siskin are very opportunistic and will work hard in their search for seeds. They spend much their winter flocking to birds feeders to maintain their weight through the winter. However, these birds are becoming less frequent in their common habitats. 

 After receiving multiple calls about sick birds and receiving a diseased Pine Siskin, Dr. White became concerned for the wellbeing of these birds. She suspected that there was some disease being transmitted to these birds this winter and she was right. With a little bit of research, it was discovered that this year there has been an increase of small birds with symptoms of Salmonellosis. 

When we hear about salmonella, we think about undercooked chicken or eggs that can make people sick. But it can also affect other species and its often more deadly. During the years where finches are populating and migrating longer distances south than normal We have noticed an increase in salmonella outbreaks. This winter we are seeing a large eruption of winter finches, who are traveling so far that scientists are calling it a “super-flight”. The reason for these disruption is up for debate, but one idea is that there is less food availability.

During this time, birds are experiencing more stress to find food for the winter which is why they are flying further distances than they normally do. This stressor makes them more susceptible to disease and transmitting it to others. Salmonella can affect birds in different ways, bigger birds pass the bacteria through their feces and have no physical symptoms. However, smaller birds that are infected usually do not recover. The species affected include American Goldfinches, Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins. In Washington, we will see the effect on Pine Siskins and American Goldfinch since they are native species here.

Salmonella is transmitted through fecal matter, one obvious place of transmission is at bird feeders. This is not the primary reason that these birds are getting sick, but it is a good idea to clean your bird feeder every once in a while in order to rid the surface of any bacteria. To recognize if one of the birds that visits your feeder is sick, watch for birds that are fluffed up, thin, depressed, have swollen eyelids, and are easily approachable. Call a wildlife rehabilitation center if you suspect that a bird has salmonella. If you find a dead bird, pick up with gloves, place in a bag and put it in the garbage. This disease can be transmitted to outdoor pets and humans so make sure after washing bird feeders or touching birds to wash your hands.