Diseased Bird: Avian pox on a White-crown sparrow.
This is a White-crown sparrow with avian pox, first I have seen this year. I wiped down the feeder with alcohol but I have no faith that that will make any difference in the spread of this disease.
Categories: Growths
Comments
3 comments on “Diseased Bird: Avian pox on a White-crown sparrow.”
We have three baby mockingbirds all from the same nest that have these growths some-where on their heads. This adult pair have raised 3 separate nests of babies and the second set of three are the ones that have contacted this disease. Where does it come from and is it contagious or does this pair need to find new mates. please explain, they are very enjoyable .
Follow up on the fate of this bird. Those growths continued to grow until the bird was unable to get food into it’s mouth, it was losing weight.
I again caught it in my sparrow trap but this time, I euthanized this poor bird. I just couldn’t stand watching it struggle to eat only to have the food fall out of it’s beak again & again, it was becoming frantic & desperate. Poor little bird suffers no more.
This is a very contagious virus disease, no cure, just suffering until it dies, another “gift” from “god”.
It’s good that you wanted to help it but I’m not sure if it’s legal to euthanize a wild bird without a permit or something. Keep the feeders down for a couple of days or longer.
I see a house finch with a growth on its head at my feeder. I keep my feeders as clean as possible washing them with antibacterial soaps in very hot water. This is the 1st year I’ve seen this type of growth on a bird. I live in Aloha, Oregon and today is September 25, 2025. Is there any type of medicine I could put in the feeders to help these birds?
Hello Kennette, thanks for reaching out. Only veterinarians or federally licensed wildlife rehabilitators can legally treat wild birds. If you see a bird that appears to be compromised in some way, perhaps due to sickness or injury, do not try to care for the bird yourself. If you see a sick bird at your feeders, we recommend taking down feeders for 2 or more weeks to allow sick birds a chance to disperse. It sounds like you have been cleaning your feeders – we recommend a 1:10 dilute solution of bleach and water, and rinsing feeders thoroughly and drying before putting them outside again. We have more tips on feeder care if you are interested here: https://feederwatch.org/learn/feeding-birds/safe-feeding-environment/