Bird in distress in Arlington Heights -- ID?

[Peter Loshin]

Hi all, we spotted this little bird at our feeder just 20 minutes ago; it seemed to be perching there and eating seeds. At first we thought it was a finch or a wren, but on closer examination it appears to be something else?

Is there some way we can help it out? We're open to suggestions.

thanks!

Peter Loshin

[Peter Loshin]

... and now that we're looking at it again, even more closely, it appears to be a finch

Peter

[Grayson Shannon]

Hello!

This is an American Goldfinch that appears to have something wrong with its eye. I’m not an expert in the matter, but this looks like avian conjunctivitis (or “House Finch Eye Disease”). Avian conjunctivitis is extremely contagious, and unfortunately there isn’t much you can do for this individual. It may recover from the illness, or it may not. Sick or injured birds are much more likely to get preyed upon. (I don’t believe there is current evidence to suggest that a predator (especially a non-avian one) could get sick from this)

That said, currently most advice out there suggests that the best thing you can do is not for this bird but for the others around it. Take down your feeders and clean them (we should all be doing this regularly!) Some advise leaving your feeders down for a few weeks - this gives time for the infected bird to either recover or die, while lowering the risk of exposing other birds. It is sad, but sometimes the best we can do is allow nature to take its course.

For more information:

https://feederwatch.org/house-finch-eye-disease/

https://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/resource/mycoplasmal-conjunctivitis

https://extension.psu.edu/house-finch-conjunctivitis

[Susan Moses]

Hi -

If the bird has conjunctivitis it can be treated at the Tufts Wildlife Clinic in North Grafton. The Clinic is closed for the rest of today because of the weather, but may re-open tomorrow afternoon. 

In the meantime, if you are able to catch the bird (you can use a small towel to scoop it up), put it (towel and all) in a small box with air holes and a secure lid, and keep it in a warm quiet place overnight. Call the Clinic mid-morning (508-839-7918) and leave a message and someone will call you back. If you can’t catch it, try to keep an eye on it in case it declines (in which case it will be easier to catch).  

You can email me directly if you have any questions (I work at the Clinic). 

Thanks. 

Susan Moses

Cambridge, MA

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 25, 2026, at 12:38 PM, Grayson Shannon <glshan...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Peter Loshin]

Thanks for the tips -- we took the feeder down shortly after seeing Grayson's message.

Once the snow ends and we're able to leave the house, we will try to follow Susan's advice.

Peter

[Emily Szczypek]

Thanks, Susan, for doing a "busman's" holiday, working & giving great information even when you're not on site!

What a great organization Tufts Wildlife Clinic in North Grafton is!! So glad it exists!!!

Helped a friend bring a Canada Goose with fishing line wrapped around its leg there. Some people hate Canada Geese but didn't want to see it suffer needlessly.

Yeah Patriots!!!!

Appreciatively,

Emily Szczypek

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/arlingtonbirds/3D19D110-222D-41EE-AA62-45A246719B09%40gmail.com

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