grounded greenfinch

Hi sue and welcome to the Community

I very much doubt that you are overfeeding your birds. Unlike us birds eat what they need to survive and maintain their energy levels. Birds often look rotund at this time of year because they fluff up their feathers to keep warm.

However, your lethargic Greenfinch which is not flying may be of more concern. It can be an indication of disease. Unfortunately, finches and some other species, but espcially Greenfinches, are prone to a disease called Trichonomosis. You can read about it here www.rspb.org.uk/.../disease-garden-birds.aspx.

If it is that, there's no treatment and it will most likely die. Just keep an eye on it and see what happens. All you can do is practise good hygiene by keeping feeders and drinking water bowls clean to minimise the risk of transferring the disease to other birds.

Thanks TJ, I will monitor how he is getting on, its difficult though, as wherever I go he seems to be hiding and runs out in a panic. He seems very healthy though at the moment. Bit annoying as I cant get out there to clean|! lol

Sue

Thank you Alan, nice to be with likeminded people!

Sue

Well I did have a bit of a task discovering how to post a comment! I put it down to my stupidity lol. I get a lot of those doves, very sweet, I remember a few years ago several of them seemed to have a large growth on their crop. Next thing they were all ok again? I think this greenfinch hit the window as many do lately. I have ordered some UV stickers called Window Alert, that the birds can see but are very faint to us. I had to get them from the USA though so they have become quite pricey with shipping etc. [My fault I wanted the hummingbird design!] I dare not add up what the birds cost me, its ridiculous!

Sue

haha, I will have to compare notes with her. Yes I have quite a few pics, but mainly of insects, I cant get near enough to the birds with my phone! Although I do have a few shots of birds recovering in boxes! lol

Yay! Thats me happy! [Im a bit strange]

Hi Sue and welcome from me (The queen of bird food shopping  lol )  in Cheshire.    As Alan indicates, we're all a bit crazy on here so pull up a chair and join the mad house  !!!!  

haha Hello there Hazy. Nice to know Im not alone in my madness! So hwhat is your birdie budget? [or your budgie]. Mine is getting out of hand. I had several seed feeders, fat blocks, coconut halves, peanuts hanging on the tree. Then there were more and more birds coming and bullying each other mercilessly for feeder positions, so I bought more feeders....and more birds came. I seem to be constantly ordering seed by the lorry load. Then the birds keep flying into the window, so Ive ordered something to combat that. Then there is all of the stuff that falls on the ground, which they dont want. Unless the pigeons come down [which I dont want!]. I have seen the birds at the feeders fling huskless sunflower seeds sometimes instead of eating them!! They could use my garden as the setting for a scary film about squillions of birds taking over, they could call it 'The Bir....oh hang on?

Sue

LOL Sue,  your garden sounds as crazy as mine and .... yes, I've added so many extra feeders that it is costing a small fortune to keep the birds fed and happy !    My last spend was £120 the other day but that should last between 6 and 8 weeks if I make more raw pastry to supplement the supply !   Most of the birds love raw pastry (except Greenfinch for some reason) the Chaffinches love it and all the Tit family members, blackbirds, robins, and not to mention all the Corvid members.    I started with 500 gm. batches of cheese pastry (uncooked) and am now making it in a large washing up bowl with about 2 kg. quanity     lol    talk about a rod for my own back !      I said to hubby, I call the expenses my Bird Tax instead of Carbon Tax    LOL

Wow? I didnt know about the pastry! Mind you I have to be really careful not to attract pigeons. Much as I feel a bit mean, they multiply daily until you have only pigeons! I sometimes wish birds could read signs.

Sue