| Press and Reviews “Like us the birds that grace our gardens need a good supply of pure water. The Quill Drinker will provide your feathered friends with year round protection from waterborne diseases. Don’t let them down!” – David Bellamy Garden finches fall prey to deadly virus The Times September 13, 2006 By Valerie Elliott, Countryside Editor HUNDREDS of finches, including greenfinches and chaffinches, are being wiped out by a deadly disease spreading throughout Britain. Wildlife vets are investigating the outbreaks across England, Scotland and Wales, after scores of reports from birdwatchers and householders about mysterious bird deaths in their gardens. Experts believe that the scale of the deaths could be much higher than the cases reported, which appear to be concentrated mainly in the South West and Midlands. The disease, known as trichomoniasis, poses no threat to human health and is not connected to avian flu. But infected birds suffer a painful death lasting many days or even weeks. The parasite is transmitted through water, infects the throat and crop of the birds, which then dribble saliva. They also regurgitate food and have difficulty swallowing and breathing. The birds show signs of general illness such as fluffed-up plumage and become so lethargic that they find it hard to fly. It is thought that the disease is spreading by birds sharing feeders and baths that have become infected by their saliva. One vet alone has so far received more than 60 calls in the past few weeks and feared that it was likely to be the tip of the iceberg. An appeal is now being made for people to clean up their garden bird tables and feeders to prevent spread of the disease and also to help to monitor the scale of the outbreak. Read the full article here. FAQ's
Q As the birds have never seen anything like this, won’t they be scared of it? A. Garden birds are always naturally very cautious of new things in the garden, but usually it takes only a very short period (up to ten days) before they become accustomed to a new feeder. Q How do the birds learn or know how to drink from nipples? A. When the birds flutter down on to the perch they will either see a drop of water on the nipple or simply peck the stainless steel pin of the nipple which will immediately release water from the drinker. This action mimics what they naturally do in the wild when they would peck a water droplet from a leaf or other object.The pigeon is the only UK bird that can suck from open water. That is why when you observe garden birds drinking from bird baths etc they have to quickly lift and tilt their heads back to catch and retain water in their beaks. This is precisely the time that pathogens will drop from their beaks and contaminate the very water supply other birds will come and use! Q What happens if a diseased bird drinks from the nipple? Won’t it contaminate the nipple or water? A. When the birds reaches up to activate the nipple the simple law of gravity takes effect. A fresh drop of water washes down over the nipple and into the birds beak, so pathogens from the bird are unable to go uphill and enter the drinker. This very simple system has been used by poultry farmers for many years with great success. Q Will the water freeze in winter? A. Yes, the water will freeze in hard frosts in winter but in reality that is not very often or a huge problem to overcome. Frosty nights are often followed by sunny days which will probably thaw the drinker .However if the birds need a drink quickly, then thaw the Quill Garden Drinker by pouring warm water inside or over the outside of the drinker.The Quill Garden Drinker will stay unfrozen longer than an open drinking vessel because, when the surface freezes on an open water supply, the water underneath becomes trapped and useless from a birds perspective. Q Does the inside need cleaning? A. The Quill Garden Drinker should not get dirty inside if it is filled with clean tap water only. The dark green plastic of the drinker will stop light reaching the water, so the chlorine will carry on acting as a sanitiser in the tap water preventing the formation of algae.The drinker is sealed from outside contamination like dust, thus it should always remain clean inside. For any other enquires or questions please don’t hesitate to email us on OR telephone 01258 818239 and we will be delighted to take your call. |
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