Common Grackles were among the 4 most affected bird species in 9 Mid-Atlantic and eastern Midwest regions earlier this season.

There is no new information about the identity or cause of the unknown bird illness reported earlier this summer in portions of 9 states in the Mid-Atlantic and eastern Midwest regions of the United States, but the problem has subsided naturally. As a result, 5 of the states recently issued statements that birders should resume providing feeders and bird baths normally. Earlier in the season, the illness primarily affected some fledglings of 4 species of birds – Common Grackles, Blue Jays, European Starlings, and American Robins. The 9 states initially recommended that birders stop feeding birds.

State wildlife agencies for Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Delaware recently provided ‘all clear’ news releases to resume providing food and water birds in those states; plus Indiana has lifted bird feeding concerns in most counties. All states recommend that birders continue their vigilance in cleaning feeders and water features. The concern was that feeders and bird baths attract and concentrate birds, which could have been a factor in spreading the unknown bird disease.

Other states where some fledgling birds were affected included Ohio, New Jersey, and West Virginia, although no recent updates have been issued by these states.

For more information, including links to press releases issued by individual states, refer to the excellent updates provided by Wild Birds Unlimited at https://www.wbu.com/ (scroll down toward the bottom of the page).

To refer to our initial Backyard Birding article that explained about the initial effects of the unknown bird illness, which appeared in the July 14 issue of The Birding Wire, see https://www.birdingwire.com/releases/c182427b-d903-40ac-89c5-25615c07323f