Is this bird young or ill?

daveO

Native
Jun 22, 2009
1,459
525
South Wales
Found this guy snoozing on the bird table this morning. It flew off when I topped the food up and came back again but flew like a young bird still trying out it's wings. It looks to be a finch of some kind, possibly a greenfinch which are apparently quite susceptable to disease. We get the odd one or 2 of them now and then but it seems very early for a fledgling. I'm going to sterilise everything later anyway just in case it was sick.

031414_zps746beb4c.jpg
 

Macaroon

A bemused & bewildered
Jan 5, 2013
7,241
385
74
SE Wales
Yes, sterilise everything straight off, it is an adult greenfinch and there is a lot of disease about in the finch population. I've had three or four people spotted them in gardens hereabouts ( Lower Wye Valley) and hygeine is the first step in stopping whatever it is going through them like wildfire.
We had a major outbreak of it on the English side of the Wye a few years ago and they've only lately recovered from it............

I just hope it doesn't come like that again!
 

daveO

Native
Jun 22, 2009
1,459
525
South Wales
Yes, sterilise everything straight off, it is an adult greenfinch and there is a lot of disease about in the finch population. I've had three or four people spotted them in gardens hereabouts ( Lower Wye Valley) and hygeine is the first step in stopping whatever it is going through them like wildfire.
We had a major outbreak of it on the English side of the Wye a few years ago and they've only lately recovered from it............

I just hope it doesn't come like that again!

I'm Heads of The Valleys so not too far in bird terms I guess. I try to keep everything pretty clean but I can't speak for the neighbours. I'll give it another scrub and a jeyes fluid bath later though.
 

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