Arizona Game and Fish is asking residents putting out water and food for birds to keep those dishes clean to help stop the spread of diseases that are killing birds.
Many viewers have reached out to ABC15 and said they were noticing dead birds in their yards and around their homes. From Gilbert, to Mesa, to Phoenix folks were wondering what was going on?
Karen Fitzgerald who lives in Mesa near Higley and Brown roads said she has thrown out at least 19 dead birds from her yard over the last month.
"They're here, over -- next to the pool, they're here, they're...I've never seen...all the way to the corner store. I've never seen anything like this and it's concerning me," she said.
Arizona Game and Fish have been fielding calls about dead birds. They say it appears it is the same phenomenon that happened last year in Buckeye where residents reported finding several dead birds in that area.
"There are some parasites and there are some viruses and they're caused by uncleaned bird baths and unclean bird feeders," said spokesperson Amy Burnett. "It's basically the 'one person sick on a plane phenomenon.' All the birds come to one small bird bath and basically get all the other birds sick.
Fortunately, for humans and your pets, only birds are affected by the diseases.
Arizona Game and Fish say that if you do have a birdbath, water dish, or bird feeder to make sure that you clean it regularly.
If you start to notice any sick or dead birds around your home stop feeding and giving them water for a couple of days to stop the spread of the disease. Clean those dishes with a diluted bleach and water solution (one part bleach to four parts water.)
If you find a dead bird throw it in the trash, do not bury it.
