Thank you to those who responded to my question (Jack, Linda and
Michelle)!

You must have been right, based on the subsequent flurry of reported
siskin deaths. I have had one more since then, for a total of two, but my
husband observed a third siskin looking sick. This whole thing is very
discouraging.

My thistle feeder has no tray (wooden pegs), and I wash it every couple of
weeks. Maybe I need to do it more often. The siskins also eat at my
"haven" feeder (big caged thing), which contains black-oil sunflower
seeds. This monster is difficult to wash without taking the whole thing
apart. I did that once, and it was ridiculous. I had to unscrew the
metal scews, and clearly that's not meant to be done. Failing that, all
I can do is stick a little sponge in between the bars of the cage and wipe
as best I can. It has a built-in floor. Last summer I removed the extra
tray I had added to catch seed, because cats were trying to jump onto it.

I also worry about the house finches, because they suffer from contagious
conjunctivitis.

Thanks again for your messages!

Laura Friend Newcastle, WA lcf at u.washington.edu


On Thu, 1 Mar 2001, Jack & Linda Kintner wrote:

> Pine Siskins, because they flock together tightly, can share a type of salmonella, the evidence of which is the occasional dead bird in or around your feeder. Some years it's worse than others. Clean your feeders, since it's passed by walking around in fecal material. If your feeder has a tray to catch the seeds which the bords can get to, take it off.
>
> I have had a few dead ones now and then around my feeders this year, too, but it stopped with adequate cleaning on a daily basis. In a month I'll let their feeders go empty and then toss the cheap plastic ones away.
>
> At 01:33 PM 3/1/01 -0800, you wrote:
> >Hello, I am new to this list, but here goes:
> >
> >Shortly after yesterday's earthquake, I found a dead pine siskin in my
> >feeder. It was inside the caged portion of a "haven" feeder, so it was
> >not killed by a predator.
> >
> >I imagine it died of a heart attack caused by fright, because of the
> >earthquake. Is this a reasonable assumption? Have other people observed
> >dead birds after an earthquake? Is anybody keeping track of related
> >data?
> >
> >Thank you.
> >
> >Laura Friend, Newcastle, WA (lcf at u.washington.edu)
>
>