Question

Why is it important to regularly clean and maintain backyard feeders and birdbaths? (Disuss in the context of medical microbiology)

Answer 1

An established ecological principle is that the transmission of diseases occurs at greater rate in populations that are more densely populated than in those that are more sparsely populated. During cold seasons, the birds have a high energy requirment and will congregate around a bird feeder with seed meals. This increases the chances of spreading diseases among birds.

It was found tha Salmonella, E. coli, and other bacteria along with viruses, parasites, and fungal diseases can be passed by congregating birds at feeders which are not cleaned regularly. A 3 year study on the pathology of birds in bird feeders found that, birds had 81% of occurrences were avian pox, 8% were conjunctivitis, 6.3% were cloacal infections, and 4.7% were fungal skin disease. It was also noted that birds were more likely to have disease at sites with feeders than at sites without feeders. This may be largely attributed to the fact that cleaning of bird feeders is not a regular habit among people who feed birds, with 40% of individuals reporting that they cleaned feeders yearly or never at all. This was the statement released by PROJECT WILDBIRD.

Also, poor maintenance of birdbaths will lead to the growth of algae on the water body.

Thus, it is important to clean the bird feeders and birdbaths regularly to prevent the transmission of pathogens and diseases among birds.