Date: 1/25/26 9:38 am From: Grayson Shannon <glshannon2003...> Subject: Re: [Arlington Birds] Bird in distress in Arlington Heights -- ID?
Hello!
This is an American Goldfinch that appears to have something wrong with its
eye. I’m not an expert in the matter, but this looks like avian
conjunctivitis (or “House Finch Eye Disease”). Avian conjunctivitis is
extremely contagious, and unfortunately there isn’t much you can do for
this individual. It may recover from the illness, or it may not. Sick or
injured birds are much more likely to get preyed upon. (I don’t believe
there is current evidence to suggest that a predator (especially a
non-avian one) could get sick from this)
That said, currently most advice out there suggests that the best thing you
can do is not for this bird but for the others around it. Take down your
feeders and clean them (we should all be doing this regularly!) Some advise
leaving your feeders down for a few weeks - this gives time for the
infected bird to either recover or die, while lowering the risk of exposing
other birds. It is sad, but sometimes the best we can do is allow nature to
take its course.
