[cwebster]

Just heard on the news that dozens of sick/dying pigeons have turned up in Solvang and north to Atascadero and Templeton and up to the Bay Area. Apparently the dead banded tail pigeons have trichomonas that they caught from rock pigeons. They have also found an owl that died from eating a dead pigeon. Very sad. Just wanted to give people in the area a heads up (I live in Atascadero and have two pet pigeons).

 

[cwebster]

Apparently the outbreak is now said to be affecting hundreds of pigeons and other birds on the Pacific Coast of the U.S. and they isolated a new parasite, trichomonas stableri, along with the usual trichomonas gallinae.

 

[Jay3]

Why are they blaming the rock doves?

 

[AndreiS]

More details here:


http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224413000394

 

[Jay3]

The articles don't say they caught it from rock doves. One article says that it could be possible that they could though.

 

[cwebster]

Didn't see the detailed technical articles. The local news reports say they catch it from rock doves. I fear many birds are susceptible. They study the band tailed pigeons I think because they are getting rarer...they apparently only produce one clutch of eggs per year. I don't know if metronidazole treats the new parasite. I just want people to be aware of how this new virulent parasite is killing susceptible birds so they can be on the lookout for it. Apparently per the local news articles the banded tail pigeons wander in search of acorns so the parasite is endemic where there are acorns...such as my area.

 

[Jay3]

That's about right. Blame everything on the ferals. So what's new.

 

[TAWhatley]

https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2015...-are-monitoring-band-tailed-pigeon-mortality/

 

[cwebster]

To me they are precious whether rock dove or banded tail pigeon. My two pets are former feral rock doves/pigeons. I try to count roughly how many wild birds I see on my way to work as a lot hang out on certain street light poles and gas station roofs and freeway underpasses, just to make sure they are still there and doing well. I hardly ever see any banded tails, just rock pigeons, which is sad. Plus I hope others lofts are not infected by the new parasite when they are flying or racing their birds.

 

[Jay3]

Thanks for the link Terry.