There are guidelines on the BTO website which explains that birds can catch Avian Pox from bird contact, biting from insects and contaminated areas, such as feeders. It is important to change your water daily and clean your feeders and disinfect often, to be free of any disease. Watching our garden birds we noticed a Wood Pigeon with what seemed to have a growth on it's eye, we reported our findings to Garden Wildlife Health, a survey through the BTO, and they told us it was most likely to have Avian Pox. This disease affects species such as the Dunnock , House Sparrow, Starling and Wood Pigeon. However, diagnosis of avian pox virus infection in garden birds is only really achieved on dead birds at post-mortem examination.
http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/gardens-wildlife/garden-birds/disease/avian-pox
gardenwildlifehealth.org I am very excited to start my work experience at the BTO next week, and I will be writing a blog about it when I am back!
