Avian Flu Awareness
and How You Can Help
On January 8th, the city of Austin shared a press release about the detection of avian flu in our area. As concerns grow about what this means for humans, pets, and wildlife, we’ve put together a few simple guidelines to help keep everyone safe:
- Avoid direct contact with sick or dead animals and their droppings, and please don’t bring sick wild animals into your home.
- Keep your pets away from sick or dead animals and their waste.
- For cat owners:
- Keep your cats indoors.
- Remove shoes before entering the home if you’ve been walking in areas with bird activity. There have been reports of cats getting sick from the avian flu.
- Texas Parks and Wildlife, along with Travis Audubon, recommends taking down bird feeders and bird baths for now. These can encourage birds to gather, potentially spreading the disease. The virus can be passed through the saliva, mucus, and droppings of infected birds.
If you notice sick or dead poultry, please report it to the Texas Animal Health Commission anytime at 1-800-550-8242.
You can also help wildlife in a positive way! Consider planting native plants in your yard. These support local insects, which in turn provide food for birds, especially during migration and breeding season. During spring, when water is plentiful, keep bird baths dry. But when the dry season hits, cleaning your bird bath regularly will help stop the spread of disease.
Also, if you’re interested in purchasing native plants for your yard, be sure to visit the Native Plant Sale at the Pioneer Festival on Saturday, April 26 from noon to 5:00pm!
Thank you for helping protect our birds and the environment!
Jill Douglass | Wells Branch Wild Conservancy
wellsbranchwild.org | 512-293-9022