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Dilemma: sick goldfinch/harsh cold

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  • 07-01-2021 5:02pm
    #1
    VeeEmmy
    Registered Users Posts: 278 ✭✭


    About a week ago, I had a very sick goldfinch among "my" throng, with symptoms consistent with the description of trichomoniasis. I immediately emptied and turned over all water bowls and ceased feeding.
    Now it is desperately cold and "my" birds keep coming looking for food.
    I haven't seen the sick goldfinch again.. but... I've 2 weeks to go in the food/water ban, yet this is such a hard time for little birds.
    Stick with the ban or feed/water???

    P.S. Unrelated... but.... Right before the ban, there was one goldfinch with a bright pink/red ring on one leg. Anyone in the Enniscorthy - Bunclody area ringing goldfinches? Just curious.


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    #2
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    You could risk putting out small amounts in a feeder, but if you see any even slightly sick finches you should definitely stop for at least two weeks.

    A bright pink/red ring sounds like one put on a captive finch (possibly legally, possibly illegally). Birds ringed as part of scientific studies will always have a small metal/grey coded ring on one leg, and then possibly a plastic/coloured ring with a code on it, or multiple uncoded coloured rings!


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    #3
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    a goldfinch with an std ??


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    #4
    VeeEmmy
    Registered Users Posts: 278 ✭✭VeeEmmy


    fryup wrote: »
    a goldfinch with an std ??

    LOL fryup. I did my best to try to find the correct spelling of the sick finch disease. I settled on the spelling on the Birdwatch Ireland page. I thought they'd know....
    (https://birdwatchireland.ie/our-work/surveys-research/research-surveys/irish-garden-bird-survey/trichomoniasis-sick-finches/)
    "Trichomoniasis (sick finches)
    Since 2005, some Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Goldfinches and other finch species have been infected with the Trichomonas parasite, making them noticeably unwell for several days before eventually succumbing to the illness."


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    #5
    JJayoo
    Registered Users Posts: 6,561 ✭✭✭JJayoo


    I think in this weather any small bird that is unwell would die very very quickly which would reduce the ability of the disease to spread.

    I have 10 feeders hanging up outside and have a huge amount of birds, 5 kg of peanuts a week


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    #6
    VeeEmmy
    Registered Users Posts: 278 ✭✭VeeEmmy


    OpenYourEyes wrote: »
    A bright pink/red ring sounds like one put on a captive finch (possibly legally, possibly illegally).

    Thanks for the tip on feeding cautiously, OpenYourEyes.
    I thought I saw 2 rings, one on each leg, on the bird with the pink/red ring, but I wasn't certain. Tried to get a pic, but too much movement and imperfect view to be sure. Interesting.


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    #7
    New Home
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,354 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    If you see it again, try to film it - while a photo might not be too clear on its own, maybe you'll be able to extract a screenshot from the video. It might just work.


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    #8
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    JJayoo wrote: »
    I think in this weather any small bird that is unwell would die very very quickly which would reduce the ability of the disease to spread.

    This is certainly true to an extent, but it's important not to rely on this as a means for controlling the infection. Feeders still need to be brought in for 2 weeks minimum if there's an outbreak of trichomoniasis, regardless of the weather.


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    #9
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    VeeEmmy wrote: »
    LOL fryup. I did my best to try to find the correct spelling of the sick finch disease. I settled on the spelling on the Birdwatch Ireland page. I thought they'd know....
    (https://birdwatchireland.ie/our-work/surveys-research/research-surveys/irish-garden-bird-survey/trichomoniasis-sick-finches/)
    "Trichomoniasis (sick finches)
    Since 2005, some Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Goldfinches and other finch species have been infected with the Trichomonas parasite, making them noticeably unwell for several days before eventually succumbing to the illness."

    Trichomoniasis and trichomonosis are both used in the scientific literature when describing this parasitic infection in birds, so both are correct.


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