Greenfinches are in serious trouble, but together we can help by keeping feeding stations clean to stop disease spreading. This beautiful little bird was a common sight in gardens but has seen a dramatic decline of 63% since 1993. It has now been moved from the Birds of Conservation Concern’s green list to the red list. One of the reasons for the decline is because of a severe outbreak of the disease trichomonosis, which can be spread by contaminated food and drinking water. By keeping our feeders, bird tables and bird baths clean, we can help bring this colourful little character back to our gardens, as well as helping to keep our other garden birds, fit, healthy and disease free. Here’s how!
Put your gloves on and empty any old food from the feeders into a bin - Do not reuse the food or compost it.
If possible, take the feeders apart to make them easier to clean.
With hot soapy water and a brush, scrub and clean the feeders, removing any old food or residue.
Rinse thoroughly with cold water, preferably outside.
Let it dry completely, again ideally outside.
Spray with the disinfectant, following the instructions.
Rinse again and then let it dry out once more before refilling.
Put your rubber gloves on and remove any old food, by hand and with your scraper,and throw it away – do not reuse or compost.
Fill your bucket with warm, soapy water and use the sponge to clean away any small bits of food and droppings.
Rinse thoroughly with cold water, a hose pipe works well.
Let it completely dry, before spraying it with the disinfectant, following the instructions.
Rinse again and then let it completely dry before refilling.
At least every few weeks, but ideally once a week if possible.
Unless you have lots of feeders, no more than 15 minutes.
We recommend using an animal safe disinfectant but a weak solution of domestic bleach can be used as an alternative.
Yes, cleaning any space where birds congregate will help them stay healthy. Ideally, clean water should be provided every day.
If you think the birds have been affected by disease, it is best to stop feeding for at least two weeks and empty any bird baths. Only start feedings again if you are no longer seeing birds with any signs of disease.
Treatment for wild birds is rarely an appropriate action and often it may be in the bird’s interests to be left in the wild. There is a lot more information here.
Please report sickness or death of any garden wildlife to the Garden Wildlife Health (GWH) project. This is a collaborative project between the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Froglife and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), that aims to monitor the health of, and identify disease threats to, British wildlife.
Buy everything you need to keep your bird feeders and table clean together in a pack, for £13.99.
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