Sunday 2 February 2014

Avian Pox

First it was just a single Great Tit with an ugly brown growth on its head, then there was another with a growth on its leg and another. 

Great Tit with Avian Pox
Birds are normally photographed for their beauty
Avian Pox is a disease spreading northwards and the hope is that the birds will develop an immunity to it; it does not seem to harm them. It is also present in Dunnocks but harder to detect against their brown plumage as they scuttle around beneath bird feeders.

If you see birds with such growths it would be good if you could report the fact on the new website promoting Garden Wildlife Health

It would be wise to give your bird feeding station a thorough clean to reduce the likelihood of the disease being passed on.


In February 2013 I think there were three infected birds regularly visiting my feeders but this year I have seen none. Did they recover?

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