Wildlife officials urge temporary removal of bird feeders

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is urging residents who own bird feeders to remove them until next month, pointing to a rise in bird deaths that could be caused by dirty feeders.

Wildlife officials announced on Monday that residents should take down their feeders until early April. A statement from the department says experts are concerned that mold or bacteria that easily forms on wet bird seed could possibly be spreading deadly avian diseases, but the risk is reduced when feeders are cleaned regularly.

The agency says that over several weeks it has received an increase in mortality reports for Pine Siskins, and other species.