Unacceptable Rypstra
04 21 2021 Nnnn (WS) Digression
As promised, I'm bringing you the last instalment of the tragic hummingbird story from last spring. Feel free to skip watching this instalment if sad endings unduly bother you. I completely understand. Here is the link:
For those of you who do watch and wonder what went wrong with these nests, I do not have a definitive reason to explain what happened. It is unfortunate that there is a lack of research with regards to symptomatology of hummingbird diseases, even though It is well known that hummingbirds are an indicator species, or a species that is particularly prone to changes in it's environment.
Known diseases include candidiasis, avian poxvirus, aspergillosis, salmonellosis, trichomoniasis, haemoproteus parasites, intestinal adenovirus, and bacterial septicemia. Many of these diseases are caused by unclean feeders or feeders with poor nectar (use of honey, or wrong sugar ratio). Contact and transfer at feeders can also perpetuate disease spread.
Other known factors include exposure to pesticide, starvation from lack of food, insect stings or chick death due to excessive mite populations in the feathers and nest.
Salmonellosis is transferable to humans, so care must be taken when handling dead birds.
This series has been dedicated to friends of the family on whose property the nest was located. I just want to thank you again, for letting me document this story. I so greatly appreciate it!
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, etc. without my permission.
04 21 2021 Nnnn (WS) Digression
As promised, I'm bringing you the last instalment of the tragic hummingbird story from last spring. Feel free to skip watching this instalment if sad endings unduly bother you. I completely understand. Here is the link:
For those of you who do watch and wonder what went wrong with these nests, I do not have a definitive reason to explain what happened. It is unfortunate that there is a lack of research with regards to symptomatology of hummingbird diseases, even though It is well known that hummingbirds are an indicator species, or a species that is particularly prone to changes in it's environment.
Known diseases include candidiasis, avian poxvirus, aspergillosis, salmonellosis, trichomoniasis, haemoproteus parasites, intestinal adenovirus, and bacterial septicemia. Many of these diseases are caused by unclean feeders or feeders with poor nectar (use of honey, or wrong sugar ratio). Contact and transfer at feeders can also perpetuate disease spread.
Other known factors include exposure to pesticide, starvation from lack of food, insect stings or chick death due to excessive mite populations in the feathers and nest.
Salmonellosis is transferable to humans, so care must be taken when handling dead birds.
This series has been dedicated to friends of the family on whose property the nest was located. I just want to thank you again, for letting me document this story. I so greatly appreciate it!
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, etc. without my permission.