The pandemic has introduced people to a plethora of new hobbies. Baking bread, whipping coffee, learning new TikTok dances — any distraction from the hectic world. Bird watching and putting out bird feeders are among the hobbies that have since increased in popularity. And while derived from innocent intent, the pastime can be lethal to Eugene’s northern finches.

Every fall, small-winged birds, often called “winter finches,” migrate to the northern regions of North America. Most finches are the same size, making it harder to tell each breed apart. However, there are some easy ones to remember: The goldfinches have goldish-yellow feathers, while the purple finch shines bright with a reddish-purple hue. 

This year, more than previous years, winter finches are migrating to the Northwest possibly due to a greater availability of food within the region, according to Wildlife Care Center Manager Stephanie Herman. While a welcome addition to the community, these finches — In particular, the pine siskin, a yellow-winged finch — are falling prey to the spread of salmonella through bird feeders.

The Register-Guard reached out to Herman, coming from the Portland Audubon Society, to ask why winter finches were succumbing to salmonella poisoning in greater numbers than years past. She believes that it’s a result of residents’ growing interest in our winged friends, which may have prompted them to attract the finches with new feeders — thereby increasing the likelihood of spreading salmonella amongst the birds’ population. 

Pine siskins’ migration patterns depend on the availability of food, and this increase of bird feed may have also been part of the reason for the increase of their population and infection rates in the surrounding area.

Other birds can carry this bacterium, but these specific types of finches are feeling the lethal consequences. You can tell when salmonella has entered their system by looking at both their feathers and behavior. An infected bird’s feathers will appear fluffier and their behavior becomes lethargic.

Bird feeders are out all day — meaning they become unaccompanied when you go out grocery shopping, go to work or go on a quick drive for a change of scenery. No one is expected to sit and closely examine each bird that uses their feeder in order to shoo away the infected ones. And, even if that was expected, it’s near impossible to point out the birds that will eventually get the other birds’ sickness.

The reality is, bird feeders allow for cross-contamination. And if feeders aren’t being properly rinsed and sanitized, the likelihood of bacteria and infections spreading from bird to bird increases. Common cleaning applications for bird feeders include hand washing the feeder with soap and boiling water, or washing it with boiling water and a diluted bleach mixture. For more instructions for specific feeders, you can visit www.allaboutbirds.org.

When humans contract salmonella, we are bent over a toilet, sweating and cursing whatever gave it to us. But we also have medications and practices that can be used to lessen the pain. When birds contract it, they don’t have those same luxuries. Often, to our small-winged friends, the infection is fatal. And since now more than ever, it seems we’re responsible for the winter finches suffering, it falls on us to keep them healthy.