Do bird feeders spread disease?
This question has at times been debated in the media. Feeders, especially improperly maintained feeders, can spread disease. However, there’s no way to know if disease transmission at feeders is any less or greater than disease transmission in the wild. Birds that contract and spread diseases, such as salmonellosis, at feeders are typically social by nature and would aggregate whether at feeders or not. Nevertheless, to reduce the risk of disease at feeders, we encourage people to clean feeders regularly. Learn more about safe bird feeding here. The Lab issued a response to a Wall Street Journal article raising concerns about disease at feeders. The response was also printed in the Wall Street Journal. Excerpts of the Lab’s response were published in BirdScope and can be read here.
