House Finch Conjunctivitis

This photograph of a male House Finch exhibiting symptoms of "House Finch Conjunctivitus" was taken at the feeders in the Ramble yesterday.

House Finch Conjunctivitis is actually Mycoplasma gallisepticum and was originally a disease found only in domestic poultry. Apparently it jumped the species barrier, most probably at a poultry farm in Maryland or Virginia because the disease began showing up down there in House finches in 1994-95. It has now spread throughout the country. Both eyes eventually crust over and the blinded bird either starves to death or is predated.

The disease has, thus far, been confined to House Finches but other songbirds are susceptible. The National Center for Infectious Diseases has been tracking the infection. More information is available on their Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol3no1/fischer2.htm

This is only the second instance of MG I have seen the park. The first was in the fall of 2004 at the birdbath in the Conservatory Garden. A larger photo can be seen here: http://www.calvorn.com/gallery/photo.php?photo=6031