Georgians Finding Sick, Dead Birds As Finches Crowd Feeders

A pine siskin is shown at a bird feeder. To keep birds healthy and reduce instances of disease, Bob Sargent, program manager for the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, said people should clean up the ground below bird feeders and wash feeders and birdbaths regularly.

Todd Schneider / Georgia DNR

Georgia wildlife officials say they’ve been getting a lot of calls recently about sick or dead birds in people’s backyards.

They say it’s especially happening in denser areas where many people have bird feeders.

And it’s happening to birds that are in Georgia in unusually high numbers this winter.