ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is encouraging people to help save the birds by doing their part to clean bird feeders this spring.

“As spring nears and the weather warms, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources is reminding Georgians that clean bird feeders mean less health risks for birds,” the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division said in an announcement.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources officials add that the conditions in and around bird feeders help “spur sicknesses varying from conjunctivitis to avian pox.”

Birds with conjunctivitis have crusty-looking eyes, may lose their sight and often remain perched on feeders even when approached, Georgia DNR officials say.

“Plastic and glass feeders are significantly more sanitary and easier to clean than wood feeders, which can absorb moisture,” DNR wildlife biologist Todd Schneider said.

CDC officials also warn that the bird flu may be spreading undetected.

Georgia DNR listed several tips for keeping it bird feeders clean this spring:

• Always wear protective gloves and a mask while cleaning feeders, feeding areas and bird baths. Also wash carefully afterward.
• Clean feeders weekly using a 10-percent bleach solution – one part bleach to nine parts water – and then rinsing them thoroughly. After washing, let the feeders dry completely.
• Rake up bird seed, hulls and fecal matter beneath feeders two or more times a week. The matter can be buried or put in a plastic bag and disposed of with household waste. Wearing a mask will help avoid inhaling fungal spores stirred up by raking.
• If you have multiple feeders, space them out to help limit gatherings of birds. With highly pathogenic avian influenza (commonly called bird flu) present in wild birds, avoid placing bird baths and feeders in proximity to domestic poultry. (For more on avian influenza, see https://georgiawildlife.com/sick-injured-or-orphaned-wildlife/avian-influenza.)
• Move feeders regularly. A move even 20 feet away lowers the risk of disease transmission.
• Empty and clean bird baths every two days when bird visitation is heavy. This also discourages breeding mosquitoes from using the bath water.
• Do not handle wild birds that are obviously sick or found dead. If only a few dead birds, the carcasses can be disposed of by burying them a foot or more deep. To report a large number of dead birds – such as five or more at one feeder over a day or two.

People can help prevent the spread of disease by taking down the feeders for a week, which will encourage birds to disperse.