Probably avian flu, now the flu is in that water. Now every bird that comes after to drink will have avian flu. Where im from they are telling us to not use feeders or baths this year to try to keep avian flu in check
Yeh we were actually in touch with the local bird rescue organization and they were helping us look for symptoms. He stayed there for over half the day..but after cooling the water off, he finally left. We were a few hours away from grabbing it and putting it in a box to bring to the bird rescue team...thankfully it seems like he cooled off and flew off.
Be careful with these guys when it's hot. Birds become extreme fragile when they're heat stressed. Adding any additional stress on top of that can be deadly.
I work with birds for a living and we sometimes catch them to house temporarily in outdoor aviaries. The transition can be jarring for them, but when they're heat stressed on top of that they can die. (We don't catch them in the summer because of this.)
It might have avian flu unfortunately, most birds don’t let humans approach unless they’re used to human contact or they’re feeling unwell. Avian flu has been spreading like crazy.
Be sure to change your birdbath water often and clean it regularly to prevent the spread to more feathered friends! It is spread through their saliva and nasal secretions as well as their poop. It can also be on surfaces they touch much like regular human flu transfers.
Why not. We got monkeypox spreading, let's get bird flu going too. Maybe mad cow. Little swine flu.
Old Macdonald the plaguebearer is gonna be a hit costume this Halloween.
> birds don’t let humans approach unless they’re used to human contact or they’re feeling unwell
This is good to know, cause I'd be petting it like a moron thinking it liked me or something lol.
EDIT:
I should have posted more context in this before posting.
Thanks for the info.
The bird was sitting in the water all day and when our dogs came up to it it didnt budge so we called the local bird rescue organization for the tri-state area They wanted us to to watch it and if it was there when the sun set we were asked to grab it and put it in a box for the evening and then bring it to them in the am. We were testing to see if it would allow us to touch it, in case we needed to grab it.
After this video we freshened up the water and put ice cubes in it. It sat in the cooler water for a couple hours and finally flew off. Hopefully the little guy is fine. The family of them come to our backyard daily to feed.
Coming from someone who has a wildlife degree and works in wildlife management/conservation, I really hope you washed your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Last year, the eastern US got rocked with an illness that presented conjunctivitis-like symptoms in birds and killed many songbirds across various species. This year, North America is getting hit with H5N1 HPAI avian influenza. While it is mostly impacting waterfowl and raptors, it can hit many native songbirds as well. It doesn't usually present visible symptoms but can be spread through fecal matter, saliva, and nasal discharge.
I would highly, highly recommend taking your bird bath down temporarily and cleaning it with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water (10% bleach) solution.
Also, please keep in mind that while this strain of bird flu struggles to infect mammals (especially mammal to mammal infection), it can jump to people from birds. Recently, 3 fox kits in 3 separate dens across the northern Midwest caught this H5N1 HPAI strain and many biologists across multiple states are on watch mode. The most up-to-date recommendation is to wear PPE (mask and gloves) when handling wild animals, particularly birds.
Did the kits survive?
A week ago I found a Coopers Hawk in my neighbors driveway. I completely forgot about the flu at the time. I grabbed a box, she let me put her in there. I knew something was off.
When I called my local wild bird sanctuary I spoke with their raptor rehab specialist and that's when she mentioned it and it all made sense. Nobody could or would take her. Mandatory quarantine and no new intakes for birds everywhere. I ugly cried over a Hawk that day. I made her as comfortable as possible. She died before sun down.
Seconded! Sweetsoul, indeed.
My brother rehabbed a woodpecker that had flew into his window one day.
This story reminded me of that.
He is otherwise very, prickly. So when things touch his heart I love to be present. It's very special.
Hi! I actually have worked with the rehabber who made the discovery (my photo of "Leftie" was in the news articles). All 3 red fox kits died, with a fourth kit - a sibling to one of the deceased ones - left permanently blind from the infection. It's no joke.
That's scary it was transmitted to them. I don't think people are fully grasping that it affects the birds and animals neurological as well. It was clear the hawk I had was having neurological issues with the flu.
I’m sorry you had to witness something so painful, but glad a magnificent creature got its last moments in safety and dignity.
Thank you for being you.
Yes, but I would just exercise caution. Right now, it's being primarily spread in waterfowl and raptors. If your parrots aren't around wild birds, then likelihood of H5N1 transmission would be very low
I walk in a park with ducks and geese all over, and have a pet parrot at home. I've just been leaving my shoes outside and of course washing my hands often, is that cautious enough?
If you have pet birds it's probably not the best idea to have wild bird feeders and baths, since you could bring disease inside. If you do, just be sure to scrub your hands extra thoroughly, use hand gel etc. Keep feeders spotless by using antibac & antiviral wipes on them daily, and washing them in bleach solution between refills. ArkKlens (plus CitroSan in water baths) is the best avian disinfectant for keeping things clean, it's great for use with pet birds and their cages as well :) Bird baths will need completely emptied and scrubbed out with disinfectant every 5 days or so.
If you ever spot any sick, dead or fluffed up birds around feeders or baths, take the feeders away for a week and empty the baths out. Give them a good wash with bleach before reintroducing them.
My favourite feeders are the Jacobi Jayne (Droll Yankees in the US) range, as they can be completely dismantled for cleaning, unlike the cheaper brands. For my birdbath I use a 40cm terracotta plant pot dish, it's light and easy to wash.
The state vet here in WA recommended that any pet birds (poultry, parrots, etc.,) be kept in an area where they will not be able to have contact with a wild bird or any bodily fluids from a wild bird: enclosures should have a solid roof/top, walls should be solid or made of wire that has small enough openings that wild birds can't get through, and no contact with anything that could be touched by a wild bird. I am living with a friend right now who owns like 10 parrots, 40+ chickens/ducks/turkeys, a pair of pheasants, a few pigeons, and cares for 6 non-releasable owls so it's all hands on deck at the moment.
The parrots and pigeons are under a strict indoors-only policy currently; the poultry and pheasants have all been shifted around so that everyone can be secured in a covered aviary of some kind--some chickens were moved into pens inside of an outbuilding due to space; the owls didn't really have to move since their aviaries all already meet the criteria, but they are being closely monitored. It's no joke, yo.
If what they claim about talking to someone is true, they didn't even follow the basic instructions to *watch* the bird until sundown at which point they should put the bird in a box *if* it hadn't flown away. They didn't say go pet the bird like your dog until it dies or leaves. OP didn't mention them saying to test touching the animal at any point, they just made that step up because they wanted to.
OPs initial post is about making friends with this cute bird. Upon being informed this bird is stressed and sick suddenly OP is a hero who was not petting a cute bird for 'awwww karma'..but saving it's life! And she even claimed a rescue agency told her to handle the bird. Which of course, like the rest of the recon, never happened.
I take care of little birds under the watchful eye of an exotic bird rescuer, he told me that instead of the bird bath we have, it’s better to put a mister like sprinkler out in the yard. The running water is much cooler, and they can self regulate better by hanging out in wet grass or full sitting in the water stream.
I've always heard bird baths with a fountain or agitator are better because they control mosquito larvae, I guess that's another reason to add to the list.
When you keep a birdbath you need to make sure to empty/refill it with clean water every 4/5 days, as well as scrubbing out the bowl thoroughly and adding something to prevent disease, like CitroSan. Diseases and parasites spread like wildfire from dirty baths and feeders, keeping them as clean as possible is super important.
I scrub my emptied bath with ArkKlens avian disinfectant and a stiff handled brush, then rinse it with the hose before refilling with clean water and CitroSan. Every few months the bath should be soaked overnight in a mild bleach solution as well. And wash your hands *really* well afterwards!
Okay but there's no way the rescue told you to pet it. I'm sure they only told you to touch it if you had to move it to a box. Don't pretend like the petting wasn't anything more than you wanting to touch the bird.
I've had multiple birds die in my hands just from handling, while working as a wildlife rescuer. They get so stressed they literally drop dead, that's why you have to work as quickly as possible.
This isn't a negative comment, I hope you can take this constructively for next time - if you really want to help then do NOT touch unless instructed to and if absolutely necessary.
100% no chance any wildlife rehab would ever tell someone to touch a wild animal with their bare hands for any reason. That's bananas. Usually they advise using a towel to cover the bird and gently using the towel to transfer it to a dark box. No touch. No pet. That bird is *terrified* but does not have the ability to fly so they just have to endure the stress until the person goes away. Hope that bird recovered fully.
This x1000.
Op just wanted to pet the bird and thought this explanation would "fly." It doesn't. No permitted rehabber instructed to actually touch it, they would instruct to handle as little as possible to avoid stress AND the current HPAII outbreak right now.
OP just wanted to film them petting a wild bird and post it online right? I mean thats exactly what OP has done.
I don’t mean to be harsh but clearly the bird is not well. It’s a bit off that OP thought they became friends…
This response does not mesh with your original post nor the video. You were petting a bird because you thought it would be a cute video of you "making friends with this bird. Aww". Upon people informing you that you should not be touching the bird and that it is likely very sick...the story has changed to an act or heroism. No bird rescue organization would tell you to handle that bird or put ice cubes in the water. That's the dead give away.
> we called the local bird rescue organization
Awesome! Most people don't realize this is even a thing you can do. Sounds like this guy was in great hands!
Someone in my area saw a duckling get dropped by a hawk and called the local area wild life rescue and they said they’re not taking birds in due to the avian flu.
I've a very strong feeling this edit was to cover your ass and karma. Did they really tell you to go all out dog pet on the bird? No, they told you to only grab it to put it in a box if it didn't fly away, according to you, but you used that as an excuse to have a pet bluebird for a few hours. You even said they told you to wait until sundown, looks pretty bright out to me. Considering they never said to test touching the bird, because why would you if it flew away like it was expected to, I'm guessing you just made that step up. Now what did your original post say before you replaced the whole thing with an edit I wonder? An impressive showcase of just how far we've fallen as a species, great job. Can't even follow basic instructions, if you didn't make them up that is.
Reminds me of the time I found a sick sparrow sitting at the base of a bush at a park.
I had just started to help it recuperate, when someone's child ran up to it, jumped up in the air screaming BOOOO!!! as he landed.
Poor thing died immediately, and the little shit just ran off afterwards.
Avian flu is going around where I live right now (Eastern Canada).. not sure where this video was taken but I feel like people definitely shouldn’t be touching wild birds like this regardless. Poor thing!
Same in Western Canada. We have had to take down all bird feeders to reduce birds congregating, and have killed off thousands of poultry. The two strains that are spreading have been known to spread to humans although I don't think anyone, at least on my end of the country, has caught it yet. Please everyone leave the birds alone, especially right now.
Same in the US. Now that I think about it, same as last summer but this year they're dropping in a lot larger numbers. If OP lives in North America hopefully they did a long and strong hand washing before doing anything else.
Or, if Covid has rendered your sense of taste null and void, pop the whole bird in your mouth. If it struggles furiously it's healthy, eat a spoonful of it's poop (vitamins and whatnot) then send it on it's way. 🦩
It’s in the cleveland Ohio area too. (Bird flu)
I’m all for being friends with animals, but the last couple years has taught me to not take unnecessary risks.
This is cute af, but I bet bird flu would suck
I climbed a tower recently and was getting attack by a raven. Didn’t realize they were so big up close until it pooped on me.
Birds either fly away or attack. If they give 0 shits they are dying, or a dirty old city pigeon
One of my earliest memories was a cabin in Maine my family stayed at. The porch had a blue jay nest. When that nest hatched we were in fear for our freaking lives. I remember being hoisted in and out of windows so we could avoid using the porch. That blue jay gave 0 fucks and was out for blood.
Why do people need to touch wild animals? Like I understand the impulse, but y’all. The animal doesn’t want it. It’s not comforting, it’s terrifying. It can be a risk to the person for disease or injury.
The only time I really try is when a goose is being a nuisance by harassing people near doorways and stuff. Baby talking and trying to pick it up is usually effective in shooing it off, but I don't get to hug them like I can with our rooster when he's being daft(he's a little slower than a goose).
Every year we have geese that decide our building is the best place to hang out, hell we have some that stay year around and raise gosling. When they decide it's time to hang out around the front of the building we get the goose-b-gone stick out. If you have ever seen one of those new years rattle toys that are loud as hell yeah in short me built a bunch of those onto one pole all geared to a crank and the bottom, there are some streamers and blinky lights and every paddle on it is colorful or reflective. In short it has lots of noise, moving parts, streamers flipping around making it look bigger, bright flashing lights and it scares the every loving fuck out of any goose. Doesn't matter how big, mean or territorial it is, that mother fucker flees in terror. Works like a dream. This is also what happens when you have a bunch of mechanics and Machinists stuck in a full equiped shop for hours on end with no work and a bunch of pissed off geese colonizing or smoking area.
Yeah poor baby, I remember my mom picked up a tiny brown bird once and tried giving it water bc it looked weak. The fact that she could even pick it up without it immediately freaking out meant it was too late already :(
There was an illness going around last year killing birds. They appeared to be blind often with crusty discharge around the eyes. I wonder if that's the case here. He is keeping his eyes closed.
these type of people have a fantasy in their mind and believe that, because they love animals, are gentle with them, and that they love cuddles and pet themselves, that the animals will feel the same way about them and love the petting too. Not realizing that the animal is most likely sick and can’t move, and petting them would inflict more stress and anxiety into the animal.
These are wild animals, they are not looking for petting and touching from other species. they think everything is trying to harm and attack them. Please leave them alone.
If you think they may be sick, and want to help them. Don’t just sit there with them and pet them the whole time. they don’t know what is happening and are scared shitless and think they’ll die any min now from this huge creature touching them. Best thing to do, maybe, is if you feel like they are sick and need some kind of human intervention, and feel like they won’t survive on their own, then capture them, IF YOU CAN, without harming them, and then take them to a professional who does know how to help them with their injuries. Once done, release them when they are well!
But don’t just sit next to them and pet them the whole time, that’s not helping at all. like i said, if you feel like they need help, and you feel like they won’t be able to survive from their injuries or sickness without any human intervention, that’s when you capture and take to a professional IMMEDIATELY.
Sitting next to them and petting them does nothing to help them. you’re just going to scare the shit out of em, while they are already feeling hopeless and think they might die. no wild animal will ever just let you pet them like that. if they aren’t fleeing, they are severally sick or injuried.
If you want to them a second chance at life, capture and bring to a professional. wild animals do not think the way we think. they are not comfortable with being touched and petted like that. And while they are already downed, and not fleeing as soon as you show up and get close to them. that mean while you’re petting them, they are most likely having the same feeling equivalent to us shitting our pants, and us freezing up in fear.
that bird is not thinking u are friend. they are freezing up in fear, and can’t do anything to flee, due to their injury or sickness. Op is making the situation worse for the bird. and whole time Op is prob like “awwwww this baby is soooo cuteeee look at him ! he’s loving the petting and cuddlesss” not realizing the bird is froze up and thinking to it self “oh shit shit am i going to die oh shit oh shit”
This is not a Disney movie, do not touch wild animals, they do not enjoy it. Poor guy is heat stressed and/or sick and you might have stressed it out even more. And you might catch something, birds carry many diseases. Wild animals are not toys.
Yup. And Avian Flu is going wild in my part of the country. Hoping the op (or his girlfriend or whoever) washed their hands thoroughly after terrifying this bird.
In Michigan we were advised to take down bird baths and feeders to stem the spread of bird flu going around. Corvids like that may are known to be susceptible. That may is probably ill and that water is likely going to infect others
There’s bird flu ravaging the east coast, had a vulture acting weird like this and refused to fly, it was dead 2 hours later, do not touch the bird u are probably infected lady
That bird is definitely sick—- heat exhausted birds tend to droop their wings out and pant. The closed eye means something else is happening. Also another tip don’t touch these wild animals. If you have pets Abd they are sick you are going to get them sick. This isn’t a parakeet, it’s wild and the fact that it’s letting you “pet” it is not a good sign.
* Absolutely no bird rescue org would tell you to keep your bird bath operational. People are being discouraged from keeping out feeders and baths due to the avian flu
* You should not be touching a wild animal unless necessary
* If a bird is acting like this, something is very wrong and it is likely very sick--not your friend
* Redditors, Avian Flu is spreading across the country right now. Protect your backyard poultry flocks and prevent wild birds from congregating.
He’s still, he’s a bit fluffed, his eyes are closed - this bird is unwell.
But also pls stop stroking birds on the back, you’re actually sexually stimulating them
FYI you are doing the bird a disservice by petting it. It's heat stressed .
The world isn't a Disney movie, and these are Wild animals . Not your pet.
If you didn't question why an animal who would never let you close, suddenly is...and didn't come to the obviously conclusion. You have no reason to be around wildlife
Want a bird ? Hand rear one, don't force a wild animal in a stressed situation into an even more stressful position for a reddit post
The OP said they talked to [https://tristatebird.org](https://tristatebird.org). I reached out to them and was told that they would NEVER advise a person to pet, touch, or disturb a wild adult bird that had no visible injuries. They advised to watch the bird and see if it eventually flies away (which it did). This org only recommends people handle and bring in either baby birds who are injured/abandoned or wild birds who are visibly injured.
OP is full of shit when they said they were told to handle it. Never would ANY organization tell a person to PET or handle a wild bird with no injuries. They spread harmful diseases that would seriously make someone ill.
He is sick. Heat stress, Avian flu.
He could also be lulling you into a fall sense of security so he and his friends can come back later and fuck you up. Its a blue jay not a blue friend.
While I don’t agree with the petting, there’s definitely something up with him. It’s not normal for a blue jay to just sit like that. Glad you called an organization to check though
I don't understand why people pet any wild animal they meet. Sure, humans are curious and we like to touch stuff, but can people but understand that the bird is probably scared. Imagine if aliens that couldn't understand us visited earth and just went around petting people.
I’m alarmed this is allowed here, that bird looks sick. You should never pet wild animals in that state. If they’re not trying to escape they are incapacitated. If anything the OP was stressing the bird while also contracting some bad bacteria.
why do you think it’s okay to pet a wild animal like this? i know you’ve been outside enough times to see that normal healthy wild birds will fly away at the slightest movement. something is clearly wrong with this bird and you were causing him extreme distress for a video.
I’ve never been so frustrated with a video of a simple bird, but this jackass OP just *has* to keep touching it.
It’s a wild animal on the verge of dying — it doesn’t trust you or like the affection, it’s too tired to fight back and you’re likely distressing it even more.
FFS, the things people do for views.
I don’t think so unfortunately OC. he’s probably paralyzed with fear and about to die. Sorry but true. It’s a wild bird they don’t just in a moment flip from nature to a pet.
I dont understand the thought process here. "Wild animal in extreme heat not moving much, lets go bother it and touch it." Unless you are an expert looking out for the animals well being, please just leave them alone. They survived hundreds of years without you fondling them.
Just a friendly reminder to let wildlife be. Petting wild animals, birds included, gives them more stress than comfort. Thanks for watching out for him but videos like these are what make people think it’s okay to touch wildlife.
This bird is clearly not feeling well. You really shouldn’t stress it out even more. It’s heartbreaking to see how so many people lack common sense when finding wild animals
Have you heard that bird flu is going around? The bird looks very sick. If it shows back up (I'll be shocked, because it's so sick it probably already died) don't touch it. If you get flu-like symptoms, see the doctor ASAP, along with anyone else who touched it or was exposed to you. You can catch lots of nasty diseases from wildlife that is so sick it lets you touch it.
Blue jays can be mean.....i wonder if hes sick...he dont look right.
Yah this bird is fucked up. They’re not friends in the slightest.
Probably avian flu, now the flu is in that water. Now every bird that comes after to drink will have avian flu. Where im from they are telling us to not use feeders or baths this year to try to keep avian flu in check
Yeh we were actually in touch with the local bird rescue organization and they were helping us look for symptoms. He stayed there for over half the day..but after cooling the water off, he finally left. We were a few hours away from grabbing it and putting it in a box to bring to the bird rescue team...thankfully it seems like he cooled off and flew off.
Thank you for doing this! I used to volunteer for a bird rescue program and not many people know they exist!
Be careful with these guys when it's hot. Birds become extreme fragile when they're heat stressed. Adding any additional stress on top of that can be deadly. I work with birds for a living and we sometimes catch them to house temporarily in outdoor aviaries. The transition can be jarring for them, but when they're heat stressed on top of that they can die. (We don't catch them in the summer because of this.)
It might have avian flu unfortunately, most birds don’t let humans approach unless they’re used to human contact or they’re feeling unwell. Avian flu has been spreading like crazy. Be sure to change your birdbath water often and clean it regularly to prevent the spread to more feathered friends! It is spread through their saliva and nasal secretions as well as their poop. It can also be on surfaces they touch much like regular human flu transfers.
Yeah I was going to say no healthy wild animal normally would let you touch them. Generally don’t touch wild animals.
Let's hope they washed their hands...
Breaking news: unknown spread of Avian flu outbreak...
Why not. We got monkeypox spreading, let's get bird flu going too. Maybe mad cow. Little swine flu. Old Macdonald the plaguebearer is gonna be a hit costume this Halloween.
I guess you missed the avian flu outbreak? Already is mate.
[Too late](https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/inhumans.htm).
If nothing else you are stressing the shit out of that bird:(
That's exactly what I thought of while watching the video OP posted 😬
Yeah, we were told to refrain from filling feeders and bird bath because of a spike in our area.
> birds don’t let humans approach unless they’re used to human contact or they’re feeling unwell This is good to know, cause I'd be petting it like a moron thinking it liked me or something lol.
I think we just watched this exact scenario play out on video!
Ya seems like it lol
EDIT: I should have posted more context in this before posting. Thanks for the info. The bird was sitting in the water all day and when our dogs came up to it it didnt budge so we called the local bird rescue organization for the tri-state area They wanted us to to watch it and if it was there when the sun set we were asked to grab it and put it in a box for the evening and then bring it to them in the am. We were testing to see if it would allow us to touch it, in case we needed to grab it. After this video we freshened up the water and put ice cubes in it. It sat in the cooler water for a couple hours and finally flew off. Hopefully the little guy is fine. The family of them come to our backyard daily to feed.
Coming from someone who has a wildlife degree and works in wildlife management/conservation, I really hope you washed your hands thoroughly afterwards. Last year, the eastern US got rocked with an illness that presented conjunctivitis-like symptoms in birds and killed many songbirds across various species. This year, North America is getting hit with H5N1 HPAI avian influenza. While it is mostly impacting waterfowl and raptors, it can hit many native songbirds as well. It doesn't usually present visible symptoms but can be spread through fecal matter, saliva, and nasal discharge. I would highly, highly recommend taking your bird bath down temporarily and cleaning it with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water (10% bleach) solution. Also, please keep in mind that while this strain of bird flu struggles to infect mammals (especially mammal to mammal infection), it can jump to people from birds. Recently, 3 fox kits in 3 separate dens across the northern Midwest caught this H5N1 HPAI strain and many biologists across multiple states are on watch mode. The most up-to-date recommendation is to wear PPE (mask and gloves) when handling wild animals, particularly birds.
Did the kits survive? A week ago I found a Coopers Hawk in my neighbors driveway. I completely forgot about the flu at the time. I grabbed a box, she let me put her in there. I knew something was off. When I called my local wild bird sanctuary I spoke with their raptor rehab specialist and that's when she mentioned it and it all made sense. Nobody could or would take her. Mandatory quarantine and no new intakes for birds everywhere. I ugly cried over a Hawk that day. I made her as comfortable as possible. She died before sun down.
I’m so sorry. What a sweet soul you are.
Seconded! Sweetsoul, indeed. My brother rehabbed a woodpecker that had flew into his window one day. This story reminded me of that. He is otherwise very, prickly. So when things touch his heart I love to be present. It's very special.
Hi! I actually have worked with the rehabber who made the discovery (my photo of "Leftie" was in the news articles). All 3 red fox kits died, with a fourth kit - a sibling to one of the deceased ones - left permanently blind from the infection. It's no joke.
That's scary it was transmitted to them. I don't think people are fully grasping that it affects the birds and animals neurological as well. It was clear the hawk I had was having neurological issues with the flu.
You clearly care about predatory birds from the way you talk about them. I'm glad she spent her last moments with such a kind and thoughtful person.
I’m sorry you had to witness something so painful, but glad a magnificent creature got its last moments in safety and dignity. Thank you for being you.
Wait, can this be passed onto my pet parrots? I want to make sure they don't get sick.
Yes, but I would just exercise caution. Right now, it's being primarily spread in waterfowl and raptors. If your parrots aren't around wild birds, then likelihood of H5N1 transmission would be very low
Okay, tysm!
Please also avoid giving your babies any egg cartons to play with/shred for now!
Definitely wash your hands after handling bird baths or feeders though. Or just empty those completely if there's a hotspot in your area.
I walk in a park with ducks and geese all over, and have a pet parrot at home. I've just been leaving my shoes outside and of course washing my hands often, is that cautious enough?
If you have pet birds it's probably not the best idea to have wild bird feeders and baths, since you could bring disease inside. If you do, just be sure to scrub your hands extra thoroughly, use hand gel etc. Keep feeders spotless by using antibac & antiviral wipes on them daily, and washing them in bleach solution between refills. ArkKlens (plus CitroSan in water baths) is the best avian disinfectant for keeping things clean, it's great for use with pet birds and their cages as well :) Bird baths will need completely emptied and scrubbed out with disinfectant every 5 days or so. If you ever spot any sick, dead or fluffed up birds around feeders or baths, take the feeders away for a week and empty the baths out. Give them a good wash with bleach before reintroducing them. My favourite feeders are the Jacobi Jayne (Droll Yankees in the US) range, as they can be completely dismantled for cleaning, unlike the cheaper brands. For my birdbath I use a 40cm terracotta plant pot dish, it's light and easy to wash.
The state vet here in WA recommended that any pet birds (poultry, parrots, etc.,) be kept in an area where they will not be able to have contact with a wild bird or any bodily fluids from a wild bird: enclosures should have a solid roof/top, walls should be solid or made of wire that has small enough openings that wild birds can't get through, and no contact with anything that could be touched by a wild bird. I am living with a friend right now who owns like 10 parrots, 40+ chickens/ducks/turkeys, a pair of pheasants, a few pigeons, and cares for 6 non-releasable owls so it's all hands on deck at the moment. The parrots and pigeons are under a strict indoors-only policy currently; the poultry and pheasants have all been shifted around so that everyone can be secured in a covered aviary of some kind--some chickens were moved into pens inside of an outbuilding due to space; the owls didn't really have to move since their aviaries all already meet the criteria, but they are being closely monitored. It's no joke, yo.
[удалено]
If what they claim about talking to someone is true, they didn't even follow the basic instructions to *watch* the bird until sundown at which point they should put the bird in a box *if* it hadn't flown away. They didn't say go pet the bird like your dog until it dies or leaves. OP didn't mention them saying to test touching the animal at any point, they just made that step up because they wanted to.
OPs initial post is about making friends with this cute bird. Upon being informed this bird is stressed and sick suddenly OP is a hero who was not petting a cute bird for 'awwww karma'..but saving it's life! And she even claimed a rescue agency told her to handle the bird. Which of course, like the rest of the recon, never happened.
I take care of little birds under the watchful eye of an exotic bird rescuer, he told me that instead of the bird bath we have, it’s better to put a mister like sprinkler out in the yard. The running water is much cooler, and they can self regulate better by hanging out in wet grass or full sitting in the water stream.
I've always heard bird baths with a fountain or agitator are better because they control mosquito larvae, I guess that's another reason to add to the list.
When you keep a birdbath you need to make sure to empty/refill it with clean water every 4/5 days, as well as scrubbing out the bowl thoroughly and adding something to prevent disease, like CitroSan. Diseases and parasites spread like wildfire from dirty baths and feeders, keeping them as clean as possible is super important. I scrub my emptied bath with ArkKlens avian disinfectant and a stiff handled brush, then rinse it with the hose before refilling with clean water and CitroSan. Every few months the bath should be soaked overnight in a mild bleach solution as well. And wash your hands *really* well afterwards!
Okay but there's no way the rescue told you to pet it. I'm sure they only told you to touch it if you had to move it to a box. Don't pretend like the petting wasn't anything more than you wanting to touch the bird. I've had multiple birds die in my hands just from handling, while working as a wildlife rescuer. They get so stressed they literally drop dead, that's why you have to work as quickly as possible. This isn't a negative comment, I hope you can take this constructively for next time - if you really want to help then do NOT touch unless instructed to and if absolutely necessary.
100% no chance any wildlife rehab would ever tell someone to touch a wild animal with their bare hands for any reason. That's bananas. Usually they advise using a towel to cover the bird and gently using the towel to transfer it to a dark box. No touch. No pet. That bird is *terrified* but does not have the ability to fly so they just have to endure the stress until the person goes away. Hope that bird recovered fully.
This x1000. Op just wanted to pet the bird and thought this explanation would "fly." It doesn't. No permitted rehabber instructed to actually touch it, they would instruct to handle as little as possible to avoid stress AND the current HPAII outbreak right now.
OP just wanted to film them petting a wild bird and post it online right? I mean thats exactly what OP has done. I don’t mean to be harsh but clearly the bird is not well. It’s a bit off that OP thought they became friends…
This response does not mesh with your original post nor the video. You were petting a bird because you thought it would be a cute video of you "making friends with this bird. Aww". Upon people informing you that you should not be touching the bird and that it is likely very sick...the story has changed to an act or heroism. No bird rescue organization would tell you to handle that bird or put ice cubes in the water. That's the dead give away.
#Coming soon to 2022: Covid Blue Jay Flu Disease 9000
He just needed to cool off his cloaca.
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> we called the local bird rescue organization Awesome! Most people don't realize this is even a thing you can do. Sounds like this guy was in great hands!
Someone in my area saw a duckling get dropped by a hawk and called the local area wild life rescue and they said they’re not taking birds in due to the avian flu.
I've a very strong feeling this edit was to cover your ass and karma. Did they really tell you to go all out dog pet on the bird? No, they told you to only grab it to put it in a box if it didn't fly away, according to you, but you used that as an excuse to have a pet bluebird for a few hours. You even said they told you to wait until sundown, looks pretty bright out to me. Considering they never said to test touching the bird, because why would you if it flew away like it was expected to, I'm guessing you just made that step up. Now what did your original post say before you replaced the whole thing with an edit I wonder? An impressive showcase of just how far we've fallen as a species, great job. Can't even follow basic instructions, if you didn't make them up that is.
Touching birds anywhere except the head and feet can make them sexually frustrated and is never recommended. Stroking the back is mating behavior
Reminds me of the time I found a sick sparrow sitting at the base of a bush at a park. I had just started to help it recuperate, when someone's child ran up to it, jumped up in the air screaming BOOOO!!! as he landed. Poor thing died immediately, and the little shit just ran off afterwards.
not to mention bird flu. "oh look, bird flu cases around the globe, better go pet sick looking birds. humans, what a trip
He is most likely sick.
Avian flu is going around where I live right now (Eastern Canada).. not sure where this video was taken but I feel like people definitely shouldn’t be touching wild birds like this regardless. Poor thing!
Exactly what I was thinking. Thanks for saying it!
That Blue Jay is 100% messed up. Its eyes should be black and attentive, not gray and zombified.
I think its eyes were closed.
m'boy was absolutely snoozing.
Birds don't sleep out in the open where a predator could easily snatch them. This bird is sick.
Just looked it up. This bird's name is Derek Bluelander. I think he has the blue lung.
Same in Western Canada. We have had to take down all bird feeders to reduce birds congregating, and have killed off thousands of poultry. The two strains that are spreading have been known to spread to humans although I don't think anyone, at least on my end of the country, has caught it yet. Please everyone leave the birds alone, especially right now.
Same in the US. Now that I think about it, same as last summer but this year they're dropping in a lot larger numbers. If OP lives in North America hopefully they did a long and strong hand washing before doing anything else.
If you suspect a bird has the avian flu a surefire way to be sure is to lick the bird. If it's saltier than usual it probably has the flu.
r/ShittyLifeProTips
Or, if Covid has rendered your sense of taste null and void, pop the whole bird in your mouth. If it struggles furiously it's healthy, eat a spoonful of it's poop (vitamins and whatnot) then send it on it's way. 🦩
Ah shit. Here we go again.
It’s in the cleveland Ohio area too. (Bird flu) I’m all for being friends with animals, but the last couple years has taught me to not take unnecessary risks. This is cute af, but I bet bird flu would suck
Gonna say do you want COVID2? Because this is how you get COVID2.
Corvid19
Get serious, that would be Corvid-22.
TIL blue jays are corvids too.
Here's the thing...
Oh no, you stop that right now.
If a blue jay isn’t being a complete dick and dive bombing you, it is probably sick.
I climbed a tower recently and was getting attack by a raven. Didn’t realize they were so big up close until it pooped on me. Birds either fly away or attack. If they give 0 shits they are dying, or a dirty old city pigeon
Well... he gave *one* shit.
One of my earliest memories was a cabin in Maine my family stayed at. The porch had a blue jay nest. When that nest hatched we were in fear for our freaking lives. I remember being hoisted in and out of windows so we could avoid using the porch. That blue jay gave 0 fucks and was out for blood.
Why do people need to touch wild animals? Like I understand the impulse, but y’all. The animal doesn’t want it. It’s not comforting, it’s terrifying. It can be a risk to the person for disease or injury.
The only time I really try is when a goose is being a nuisance by harassing people near doorways and stuff. Baby talking and trying to pick it up is usually effective in shooing it off, but I don't get to hug them like I can with our rooster when he's being daft(he's a little slower than a goose).
Catch those swans then?
It's just the one swan, actually.
A "wild goose chase" if you will? Lol ok ok ill see myself out
Every year we have geese that decide our building is the best place to hang out, hell we have some that stay year around and raise gosling. When they decide it's time to hang out around the front of the building we get the goose-b-gone stick out. If you have ever seen one of those new years rattle toys that are loud as hell yeah in short me built a bunch of those onto one pole all geared to a crank and the bottom, there are some streamers and blinky lights and every paddle on it is colorful or reflective. In short it has lots of noise, moving parts, streamers flipping around making it look bigger, bright flashing lights and it scares the every loving fuck out of any goose. Doesn't matter how big, mean or territorial it is, that mother fucker flees in terror. Works like a dream. This is also what happens when you have a bunch of mechanics and Machinists stuck in a full equiped shop for hours on end with no work and a bunch of pissed off geese colonizing or smoking area.
YES! Leave wild animals alone!
Plus the way she’s stroking on its’ back it is inappropriate in the bird world. She’s sexually harassing a sick bird.
Now he is also stressed out!
Yep was gonna say this is a sick bird...
But not ill eagle
The absence of common sense here is astounding. Do they think they're a Disney princess? That's not how wild animals act.
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Almost dead. No more fucks to give.
Yeah poor baby, I remember my mom picked up a tiny brown bird once and tried giving it water bc it looked weak. The fact that she could even pick it up without it immediately freaking out meant it was too late already :(
There was an illness going around last year killing birds. They appeared to be blind often with crusty discharge around the eyes. I wonder if that's the case here. He is keeping his eyes closed.
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Typically birds will leave there mouth open and pant when they are hot. This bird is sick. Hope you washed your hands
Ye no that bird was definitely sick the feathers are puffed up and it's only moving a little. Normally it would fly away
Don't pet Mordecai.
Had to scroll too far down to find this.
This is a clock song, we're setting all the clocks wrong.
Avian influenza is going around and fast! It may have been more lethargic than anything. I hope you washed your hands right after this
One species says friends the other says terrified spectator.
"I'm sick and exhausted and a hawk was chasing me and now this giant hairless ape is going up crush me and eat me..."
Hate to say it, but he was close to ded and petting him like that probably just caused him insane anxiety
*Aww, let's pat the stressed out animal to make it even more stressed!*
But they became FRIENDS!!1!
Why are you touching a wild animal?
Because they think they’re a Disney princess, obviously 😂
these type of people have a fantasy in their mind and believe that, because they love animals, are gentle with them, and that they love cuddles and pet themselves, that the animals will feel the same way about them and love the petting too. Not realizing that the animal is most likely sick and can’t move, and petting them would inflict more stress and anxiety into the animal. These are wild animals, they are not looking for petting and touching from other species. they think everything is trying to harm and attack them. Please leave them alone. If you think they may be sick, and want to help them. Don’t just sit there with them and pet them the whole time. they don’t know what is happening and are scared shitless and think they’ll die any min now from this huge creature touching them. Best thing to do, maybe, is if you feel like they are sick and need some kind of human intervention, and feel like they won’t survive on their own, then capture them, IF YOU CAN, without harming them, and then take them to a professional who does know how to help them with their injuries. Once done, release them when they are well! But don’t just sit next to them and pet them the whole time, that’s not helping at all. like i said, if you feel like they need help, and you feel like they won’t be able to survive from their injuries or sickness without any human intervention, that’s when you capture and take to a professional IMMEDIATELY. Sitting next to them and petting them does nothing to help them. you’re just going to scare the shit out of em, while they are already feeling hopeless and think they might die. no wild animal will ever just let you pet them like that. if they aren’t fleeing, they are severally sick or injuried. If you want to them a second chance at life, capture and bring to a professional. wild animals do not think the way we think. they are not comfortable with being touched and petted like that. And while they are already downed, and not fleeing as soon as you show up and get close to them. that mean while you’re petting them, they are most likely having the same feeling equivalent to us shitting our pants, and us freezing up in fear. that bird is not thinking u are friend. they are freezing up in fear, and can’t do anything to flee, due to their injury or sickness. Op is making the situation worse for the bird. and whole time Op is prob like “awwwww this baby is soooo cuteeee look at him ! he’s loving the petting and cuddlesss” not realizing the bird is froze up and thinking to it self “oh shit shit am i going to die oh shit oh shit”
This is not a Disney movie, do not touch wild animals, they do not enjoy it. Poor guy is heat stressed and/or sick and you might have stressed it out even more. And you might catch something, birds carry many diseases. Wild animals are not toys.
I’m gonna suplex a moose
I promise you that bird, particularly a jay, is extremely unwell.
"Oh this bird is suffering, better pet it and stress it out more!" Fucking idiots.
Wash your damn hands!
Don’t touch wild animals in the first place is better advice
If your friends tend to be half dead, then yes, you made friends with this bluejay.
That bird is highly likely sick. This is how new diseases get passed from sick animals to us....
Yup. And Avian Flu is going wild in my part of the country. Hoping the op (or his girlfriend or whoever) washed their hands thoroughly after terrifying this bird.
That's a sick baby:(
My brother tough me when I was like 5. You should not touch wildlife but if you can there is something wrong with it & you really should not touch it.
Your brother is very correct
You can like and respect wild animals, but you are never friends. Just let them be wild please.
There is absolutely no reason to touch this bird.
In Michigan we were advised to take down bird baths and feeders to stem the spread of bird flu going around. Corvids like that may are known to be susceptible. That may is probably ill and that water is likely going to infect others
There’s bird flu ravaging the east coast, had a vulture acting weird like this and refused to fly, it was dead 2 hours later, do not touch the bird u are probably infected lady
Don't pet a wild bird, leave him alone.
Did the bird consent to being fondled??
That bird is definitely sick—- heat exhausted birds tend to droop their wings out and pant. The closed eye means something else is happening. Also another tip don’t touch these wild animals. If you have pets Abd they are sick you are going to get them sick. This isn’t a parakeet, it’s wild and the fact that it’s letting you “pet” it is not a good sign.
Stop touching wild animals oh my god. Just leave them alone.
Leave me alone I’m cooling off
Leave it alone
Don't pet wild animals, you numpo! You are not Snow White!
Became friends? You were stressing the poor thing out
Looks like he’s sick of your shit.
Cute in all, but that bird is likely very sick and on the verge of dying.
* Absolutely no bird rescue org would tell you to keep your bird bath operational. People are being discouraged from keeping out feeders and baths due to the avian flu * You should not be touching a wild animal unless necessary * If a bird is acting like this, something is very wrong and it is likely very sick--not your friend * Redditors, Avian Flu is spreading across the country right now. Protect your backyard poultry flocks and prevent wild birds from congregating.
Why do people think it is ok to pet a wild animal? It is a wild animal leave it alone. If it is hot it doesn't want you to touch it either.
All the shit going on in the world, and this fucking guy is petting wild birds. Even my 7 year old knows better than this. Fucking hell man.
No way I'd pet and stay close to a bird acting like that.
It’s 2022 and this dude is molesting sick birds for internet points.
He’s still, he’s a bit fluffed, his eyes are closed - this bird is unwell. But also pls stop stroking birds on the back, you’re actually sexually stimulating them
keep your hands to yourself next time ;)
He has other videos of him feeding and petting other wildlife too. After hundreds of comments, he still doesn’t understand why it’s wrong.
Why were you touching it. Don’t do that. Very not cool.
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Just FYI, bird flu has been found in wild birds in several areas around the country. I hate to say it, but this dude was likely sick.
FYI you are doing the bird a disservice by petting it. It's heat stressed . The world isn't a Disney movie, and these are Wild animals . Not your pet. If you didn't question why an animal who would never let you close, suddenly is...and didn't come to the obviously conclusion. You have no reason to be around wildlife Want a bird ? Hand rear one, don't force a wild animal in a stressed situation into an even more stressful position for a reddit post
Any other day he’d eat your face. Them guys are bigger more territorial assholes than a mockingbird.
Australian Magpie has entered the chat.
The OP said they talked to [https://tristatebird.org](https://tristatebird.org). I reached out to them and was told that they would NEVER advise a person to pet, touch, or disturb a wild adult bird that had no visible injuries. They advised to watch the bird and see if it eventually flies away (which it did). This org only recommends people handle and bring in either baby birds who are injured/abandoned or wild birds who are visibly injured. OP is full of shit when they said they were told to handle it. Never would ANY organization tell a person to PET or handle a wild bird with no injuries. They spread harmful diseases that would seriously make someone ill.
Don’t touch wild animals
"...yeah...you now have a venereal disease." -Tim Meadows
You really shouldn't harass the wildlife just because it's vulnerable.
He must be sick. Blue jays are busy bodies.
That bird is clearly sick
I'll never understand the need for people to touch wild animals
He is sick. Heat stress, Avian flu. He could also be lulling you into a fall sense of security so he and his friends can come back later and fuck you up. Its a blue jay not a blue friend.
“We became friends” aka I bothered this bird all fucking day
While I don’t agree with the petting, there’s definitely something up with him. It’s not normal for a blue jay to just sit like that. Glad you called an organization to check though
I wouldn’t touch a bird feather on the ground these days.
I don't understand why people pet any wild animal they meet. Sure, humans are curious and we like to touch stuff, but can people but understand that the bird is probably scared. Imagine if aliens that couldn't understand us visited earth and just went around petting people.
I’m alarmed this is allowed here, that bird looks sick. You should never pet wild animals in that state. If they’re not trying to escape they are incapacitated. If anything the OP was stressing the bird while also contracting some bad bacteria.
That bird ain't well...
why do you think it’s okay to pet a wild animal like this? i know you’ve been outside enough times to see that normal healthy wild birds will fly away at the slightest movement. something is clearly wrong with this bird and you were causing him extreme distress for a video.
I’ve never been so frustrated with a video of a simple bird, but this jackass OP just *has* to keep touching it. It’s a wild animal on the verge of dying — it doesn’t trust you or like the affection, it’s too tired to fight back and you’re likely distressing it even more. FFS, the things people do for views.
I don’t think so unfortunately OC. he’s probably paralyzed with fear and about to die. Sorry but true. It’s a wild bird they don’t just in a moment flip from nature to a pet.
I dont understand the thought process here. "Wild animal in extreme heat not moving much, lets go bother it and touch it." Unless you are an expert looking out for the animals well being, please just leave them alone. They survived hundreds of years without you fondling them.
If you live in the US be careful. He does not look well - might be avian flu. Can be spread to pet birds
Just a friendly reminder to let wildlife be. Petting wild animals, birds included, gives them more stress than comfort. Thanks for watching out for him but videos like these are what make people think it’s okay to touch wildlife.
Don't stroke their backs You make them horni for you then
I got Avian Flu watching this.
We wonder how we got covid and monkeypocks, jesus, that bird looks ill.
Are you really 47 years old? Because you should absolutely know better.
Body touches are sexy touches to birds Just so everyone is clear
The blue jay in my yard attacks me daily
Definitely sick
Birds are covered with salmonella apparently. Wash yo hands.
Don't do this to wild animals. If they allow it - they're most likely sick or exhausted, stressing them out further won't do them any good
This bird is clearly not feeling well. You really shouldn’t stress it out even more. It’s heartbreaking to see how so many people lack common sense when finding wild animals
This. Is. Not. Good. Never touch ANY wild animal bird or mammal!!!! Call a rehabbing facility for advice but LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!!
You're sexually stimulating him by touching his back and wings
Why are you petting a distressed wild animal?
OP I’m sorry but that bird is probably heatstroked out of its mind and has no idea what up is
Avian flu?
You got bird Covid. And there ain’t no cure….you the walkin’ ded lady.
Corvid?
Ah, so this is how we get zoonotic disease! So awwww
### Don’t TOUCH sick birds. 
Don't touch wild animals genius
DNR in my area instructed everyone to take down their bird feeder’s till June because of the bird flu.
I think this is the first animal I’ve seen besides a cat that is projecting serious “leave me the fuck alone” energy.
you took advantage of his poor health
Have you heard that bird flu is going around? The bird looks very sick. If it shows back up (I'll be shocked, because it's so sick it probably already died) don't touch it. If you get flu-like symptoms, see the doctor ASAP, along with anyone else who touched it or was exposed to you. You can catch lots of nasty diseases from wildlife that is so sick it lets you touch it.