WBFI has been closely monitoring the situation since January 2022 taking recommendations from the United States and Canadian governments, our partnered organizations, and conservation/wildlife agencies. Some are recommending the temporary removal of feeders, but does this apply to you? Here is what we advise based on the information we have so far, please note that this may change as the situation evolves, we will update as soon as possible and let you know when it is ok to put them back up if the following conditions below apply to you.

You should consider temporarily take down your feeder temporarily if:

• You are taking care of backyard/domestic poultry or live near a commercial poultry site.
  • The United States Department of Agriculture reports that “Removing backyard feeders is not something the USDA specifically recommends preventing avian influenza unless you also take care of poultry."
  • From the Government of Canada website, regarding “Feeding wild birds in your backyard: “The use of bird feeders is still safe but they should be removed from areas that are open to poultry and other domestic animals.”
  • WBFI recommends looking at the CDC’s map of commercial outbreaks to consider whether feeders in the area should be taken down temporarily due to outbreaks and to take down if there is backyard poultry in the same area as feeders
  • Unsure? Contact your local or state wildlife department to see if taking their feeder down is their recommendation based on HPAI/migration activity in your area.

• Your local/state wildlife agency recommends removing it because you live in an area with many HPAI-positive wild bird cases recorded.
  • To date, WBFI has not heard from any state wildlife agencies that are recommending this at this time unless you are working with poultry.
  • See national trackers below for the most recent stats on outbreaks:

• • • UNITED STATES - APHIS’ wild bird surveillance program
    • CANADA - CFIA NEOC GIS Services HPAI Wild Bird tracker

• As an additional cautionary measure - the temporary removal of feeders may be advised if you have seen species of wild birds that have been impacted most by HPAI: raptors, waterfowl, shorebirds, scavenger birds, or game birds visiting near the feeders frequently.

LAST UPDATED 4/21/22

AVIAN FLU UPDATE

APRIL 15, 2022

WBFI members:

The Wild Bird Feeding Institute is working with leading experts to keep our members informed about issues that may affect the hobby of bird feeding. The health and safety of wildlife are our primary concerns, and we have been closely monitoring the Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) viruses that have been detected in U.S. wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry, and backyard or hobbyist flocks beginning in January 2022. Download WBFI’s press release here from April 1, 2022.

News outlets have now picked up the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota’s Facebook post encouraging hobbyists to take feeders down. Dr. Victoria Hall has agreed to meet with WBFI staff to ensure we are helping the birds as best as we can during this challenging time and providing accurate, scientific information to our members and consumers.  Until then, here is what WBFI knows so far: READ MORE.

The Wild Bird Feeding Institute has been diligently monitoring the outbreak of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus [HPAI A(H5N1)] outbreak in the United States and Canada. To date, there have been no recorded cases in this outbreak of any generic feeder birds contracting the Avian Influenza Virus, and the only wild birds reported to have been infected have been waterfowl, water birds, shorebirds, and birds of prey that consume infected birds.

Download April 1, 2022 WBFI Press Release on the Avian Flu Outbreak.

Recently, there are reports of an outbreak of a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus [HPAI A(H5N1)] in commercial poultry and backyard flocks following its identification in wild birds earlier this year.

The threat to the general public is considered to be low by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Here, I will discuss:

1. what bird flu is and how it is spread
2. the circumstances of this particular outbreak
3. how we can educate wild bird feeding enthusiasts on how to stay safe, even though the risk to the general public is low.

READ MORE: https://www.wbfi.org/2022/02/18/56216/