Blind Garden Birds

[Norfolk Girl]

Forgive me if this has been discussed before, I haven't been on here for a while.

I have noticed a lot of the birds visiting my garden at the moment are blind - mainly blackbirds but I also noticed a wood pigeon this morning. Is there something similar going on to the mites attacking our bees? Thanks for import.

[Dogghound]

When you say blind do you mean the eyes are visibly damaged? or they are flying into objects and have no spatial awareness? Birds rely heavily on their eyesight, I would be surprised if a bird would even fly it it was blind.

[Jackaroo]

I've noticed a few birds myself this season, mainly tits, with what seem to be growths in the area of their eyes but it's difficult to tell how severely their sight is impeded. They seem to cope well with it, as far as I can see, though I haven't seen any with both eyes affected.
I would imagine that monocular vision would make flight and foraging difficult but, as I said, these birds I've spotted appear to be coping and they're mainly mature birds.

[RKB]

Originally Posted by Jackaroo

I've noticed a few birds myself this season, mainly tits, with what seem to be growths in the area of their eyes but it's difficult to tell how severely their sight is impeded. They seem to cope well with it, as far as I can see, though I haven't seen any with both eyes affected.
I would imagine that monocular vision would make flight and foraging difficult but, as I said, these birds I've spotted appear to be coping and they're mainly mature birds.

Jackaroo, you're seeing avian pox: Avian Pox | BTO - British Trust for Ornithology

If I were you I'd stop feeding for several weeks, as all you're doing at the moment is bringing healthy birds into contact with diseased ones where they can catch it. This disease is fatal (after a prolonged period of awfulness).

[RKB]

Originally Posted by Norfolk Girl

Forgive me if this has been discussed before, I haven't been on here for a while.

I have noticed a lot of the birds visiting my garden at the moment are blind - mainly blackbirds but I also noticed a wood pigeon this morning. Is there something similar going on to the mites attacking our bees? Thanks for import.

A blind bird wouldn't fly around, it would just sit there til it died. When they're in the dark, they don't move.

What are you seeing on the birds to make you think they're blind?

[rossy]

Originally Posted by RKB

A blind bird wouldn't fly around, it would just sit there til it died. When they're in the dark, they don't move.

What are you seeing on the birds to make you think they're blind?

dark glasses , sorry rkb, couldnt resist that one, yes i find it odd that the op states they are blind, rossy.

[Jackaroo]

Originally Posted by RKB

Jackaroo, you're seeing avian pox: Avian Pox | BTO - British Trust for Ornithology

If I were you I'd stop feeding for several weeks, as all you're doing at the moment is bringing healthy birds into contact with diseased ones where they can catch it. This disease is fatal (after a prolonged period of awfulness).

Ok RKB, I've heard of it but never seen its physical manifestation. I've been running down the feeders gradually anyway, now that the weather's moderated, and now would be a good time to take everything down and get it disinfected properly. I should've clicked before now. I missed a trick there. Thanks.

[KentYeti]

Quite an upsetting thread.

But it's made me go out into the garden and give my bird feeding stations and areas around them a very good, long clean and scrub with the garden hose set on maximum pressure. And I've given the bird bath a really good scrub and clean as well.

Bryan

[Norfolk Girl]

I have seen several blackbirds with growths round their eyes or one eye looks completely white.

The wood pigeon I saw today flew and landed on a branch very close to me. The side of its head closest to me, the eye looked missing. It was only when it turned and saw me with its other eye, that it panicked and flew off.

Am I to understand that most people think this is a virus and I should disinfect all my feeding areas in the garden? Would that be using a purpose bought disinfectant from a pet shop?

Many thanks for your replies.

[davecatt]

Washing up liquid and hot water would do it. I'm inclined to think the problem may stem from tick infection. It wont do any harm if you stop feeding now for a while and break the cycle.
Dave