Thread by @SFGate

For bird-watching enthusiasts and amateur naturalists across the Bay Area, backyard feeders have provided a sense of solace and a much-needed connection with the outdoors.

But the @CaliforniaDFW is urging residents to take them down as soon as possible.
sfgate.com/local/article/…

Since mid-November, scores of songbirds have died as a result of salmonellosis, a gut disease that is quickly transmitted when they gather at bird feeders or birdbaths.
sfgate.com/local/article/…

The CDFW said bird rescue centers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Central Coast and Sierra Nevada have been “inundated with calls” from residents who have discovered increasing numbers of sick or dead birds at their feeders.
sfgate.com/local/article/…

Birds become infected when they consume food or water shared with other avian species who already have the disease, or if they come into contact with objects like bird feeders, perches or soil contaminated with the feces of an infected bird.
sfgate.com/local/article/…

As more birds gather in a single area, their risk of contracting the disease skyrockets.

Experts advise that people immediately remove and thoroughly clean all seed-feeders and birdbaths, and avoid putting them back up for at least three to four weeks.
sfgate.com/local/article/…