Berlin (TEH) – Conservationists are currently registering an unusually large number of dead blue tits. To find out whether a new bird disease is spreading in Germany, the Naturschutzbund Deutschland (Nabu) asks to report dead and sick birds. It was said that some great tits or other small songbirds also fell ill. “The first cases were reported to us from Rheinhessen in Rhineland-Palatinate in mid-March,” said Nabu bird protection expert Marius Adrion. The number has now risen to over 150. “So far, the streak has been particularly affected by the Westerwald in Rhineland-Palatinate via Central Hesse to western Thuringia.”
Eyes, beaks, and parts of the feather dress are often glued together. This picture does not match any known bird disease. Since most of the animals were found near bird feedings, the Nabu advises that food and water should not be offered if more than one sick bird is observed in such a location.
Birds that have just died should be packed airtight and kept in the freezer, observing the necessary hygiene measures and without touching the bird. After Easter, the animals should be sent to the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg or, after prior consultation, to the responsible district veterinary office
