It’s safe to put out bird feeders again, unless you see this songbird, SC officials say

It’s safe to put out bird feeders again, unless a particular species of songbird — pine siskins — are seen hanging around, South Carolina wildlife officials said.

In March, the Department of Natural Resources pleaded with residents to take down their bird feeders as bird deaths spiked across South Carolina and surrounding states, due to a salmonella outbreak, McClatchy News reported.

Feeders are generally dirty places and ideal environments for salmonella to thrive, and then sicken unlucky birds that land there, McClatchy reported. Particularly vulnerable to the disease are pine siskins.

“Sick birds may appear thin, fluffed up, depressed, have swollen eyelids or may have trouble passing waste,” a North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission release said. “They are often lethargic and easy to approach.”

But most pine siskins have begun migrating north, so it should be fine to put bird feeders back out in the yard if none of the songbirds are spotted nearby, SCDNR said Thursday.

“Once you put your feeders back up, if you notice sick or dead birds, please clean and remove the feeders for at least two weeks,” the agency said.

It’s important to keep feeders clean, even under normal circumstances.

Ideally, bird feeders should be cleaned every month using hot water and a small amount of chlorine bleach (1 part bleach, 9 parts water). Let the feeder dry completely before putting it back to use.

“When outbreaks such as this happen, it’s a great reminder of just how important it is to keep feeders and birdbaths clean so birds can continue to thrive in South Carolina,” according to wildlife officials. “Birds tend to congregate at bird feeders and birdbaths, so cleaning them regularly will reduce the spread of disease.”