Ive been seeing a few House Finches with red, swollen, and weepy eyes. Whats wrong with them?
A. House Finches with weird-looking eyes are probably afflicted with mycoplasmal conjunctivitis, also known as House Finch Eye Disease. In early fall, the prevalence of this infection increases dramatically, and sick birds may appear at feeders. We urge people with feeding stations to join our House Finch Disease Survey. Because we’re trying to track where the disease is and how prevalent it is, we also need information about where the disease is not, so we welcome participants even when there is no sign of disease at your feeders. Remember, if the only people who reported had diseased birds, our data would suggest that 100 percent of all feeders were infected! There is little evidence that feeders play a direct role in disease transmission, because House Finches are highly gregarious and stay close together near or away from feeders. But to be safe, if you notice sick birds, we recommend that you take down your feeders and clean them with a 10 percent bleach solution (1 part bleach an
