You may have come to this article because avian flu is currently in the news, as of the spring and summer of 2022. Bird flu is nothing new, but we haven’t had a large scale outbreak in the U.S. since 2014-2015. The biggest concern for most bird lovers is, should I take down feeders because of the avian flu?
It can be hard to know what to do when you see so much conflicting information and advice. We hope to educate you a bit on what bird flu is, which birds are infected and what you can do.
What is the avian flu?
Avian influenza, often called avian flu or bird flu, is a disease that affects birds due to influenza A viruses. These viruses can come in different strains. For example, you will often hear of viruses referred to as a combination of letters and numbers, such as H5N1.
Influenza A viruses “are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: Hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1-H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are 9 (N1-N9)” explains the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Influenza A viruses are also classified by how “pathogenic” they are.
- Low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) are strains that occur in the wild among waterfowl and shorebirds. These strains don’t tend to cause illness to the bird, but can still be transmitted to other birds and domestic poultry.
- Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) are strains of the virus that are highly infectious, spread rapidly, and have severe symptoms and cause fatalities
Which birds are affected by avian flu?
Not all birds are affected by avian flu equally. The virus spreads naturally among aquatic birds such as ducks, gulls, tern, geese, sandpipers and herons.
These wild birds can then infect domestic poultry like chicken and turkeys. Raptors such as eagles, hawks and owls can also be infected by ingesting the virus from eating infected birds.
According to Audubon, a mild version of the avian flu (LPAI) is often present in wild birds that show no symptoms. However when exposed to domestic poultry, it can mutate into the more aggressive strain (HPAI) which can then transmit back into the wild bird population.
The virus spreads through close contact bird to bird, and also when birds come into contact with infected surfaces. The virus is present both in saliva and feces.
Key takeaways
- The virus spreads in the wild among ducks and waterfowl, and can easily infect domestic poultry (chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks and geese). Raptors can also be affected, but to date very few songbirds have been infected.
- Because songbirds contract this virus less, and have also been found less likely to transmit the disease than waterfowl, it is unlikely bird feeders will contribute in a significant way to the spread of the bird flu. It is, however, important to avoid having any birds come into contact with poultry, since poultry are highly likely to contract the virus from any source.
- At this point, there is not a consensus about taking down bird feeders. Follow the recommendations of your local wildlife resources agency. Advice may change quickly as new information comes to light, and areas experiencing a higher outbreak may take more strict measures.
Should I take down my feeders?
It is usually not necessary to take down bird feeders during an avian flu outbreak, unless you keep domestic poultry or waterfowl on your property.
Poultry is very vulnerable to catching the more severe forms of the virus. So while your backyard birds may not transmit it to each other, or only carry mild strains with no symptoms, they could readily infect poultry or ducks you keep in your yard.
Historically, bird flu hasn’t posed a significant risk to songbirds. However according to Audubon, some infections have been found in the U.S. and Canada in corvid species such as crows, ravens, magpies and blue jays.
It is theorized that perhaps corvids, who often scavenge, may be picking up the virus from consuming infected carcasses. This could point to a more widespread outbreak than we’ve seen in the past, potentially affecting more species.
It will take a lot more data to determine if current strains of the avian flu are significantly impacting songbirds or hummingbirds in ways that they did not in the past. Currently, p