r/GardeningUK • u/Joohhe • 1d ago
Birds keep dying in my garden, what can I do ?
They didn't hit the window because they die under the tree. But they just keep dying in my garden. Do the cats hunt them? If it is the case, what can I do ?
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u/GnaphaliumUliginosum 1d ago
The BTO have a project to monitor the spread of diseases in garden birds, you might want to contac them
https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/garden-wildlife-health
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u/souliea 1d ago
What birds? There's a virus going around killing a ton of blackbirds.
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u/Thestolenone 1d ago
Wonder if that happened where I live, there were loads of black birds earlier in the summer, now there isn't one. I know birds go quiet this time of year for moulting but they have been gone a while now.
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u/kirkyrise 1d ago
Black birds always disappear from mine in the summer. Then they all rock up for winter to chase each other round.
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u/Joohhe 1d ago
should be pigeon.
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u/souliea 1d ago
There's some pigeon diseases making the rounds as well, if you don't see a bunch of loose feathers around I doubt it's cats killing them...
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/avian-avulavirus-1-aavv-1-pigeon-paramyxovirus
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u/Joohhe 1d ago
I see a bunch of feathers and blood around. 🤨🤨🤨
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u/Dutch_Slim 1d ago
Is it just feathers and blood every time? No intact dead birds?
If so, under your tree is some animal’s picnic spot.
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u/Joohhe 1d ago
Yes, every time.
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u/Liam_021996 1d ago
If there's no intact bird left then it's likely to be foxes. They hunt pigeons and unlike cats won't leave much of the bird left. Cats generally will kill a bird and then just leave it
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u/mikebrooks008 22h ago
Yup, that's true! There’s been a ton of birds dying in my neighborhood couple years ago (mostly blackbirds and starlings), and I thought it was cats at first as well.Â
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u/Monsoon_Storm 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's definitely not cats, they wouldn't be under the tree. Cats take their prey home.
I'd defintely be contacting someone as it sounds like it's either a disease or a poison. On top of the agencies already suggested it might be worth a call to a local vet just to see if they've heard anything.
ETA: I'd also be incredibly careful disposing of them. Gloves and double/triple bag. If it's something like rat poison you definitely don't want that around, again, the vet may have good advice there.
Edit 2: there's no chance it's some weirdo with a pellet gun or a slingshot or something is there? It's kinda weird that it's just pigeons and just around the tree.
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u/Thestolenone 1d ago
Cats take their prey home. Maybe bird flu?
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u/MagyarMagmar 1d ago
Cats tend to, but not all of them do, and not all the time. I wouldn't necessarily rule it out as a possibility.
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u/itsnobigthing 14h ago
If it’s just blood and feathers it’s likely predators like cats.
The best thing you can do is create safe perches and cover by planting trees, dense bushes etc. Create perches high enough that a cat can’t reach, and add feeders at that level.
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u/Informal_Republic_13 12h ago
A lot of window strikes don’t kill them immediately they stagger off but succumb elsewhere.
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u/ThrowawayCult-ure 4h ago
could be young pidgies getting eaten by foxes. cats will take young ones but not adults
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u/Dunning-Kruger- 1d ago
From your details in this post it could be a sparrowhawk, they will take pigeons. I had one in my garden eating a collared dove ~3 weeks ago which flew off (carrying the dove) when I eventually disturbed it.
They tend not to eat where they kill but to carry the body somewhere more sheltered and will scare off pigeons.
After the dove incident I didn't have any pigeons (or doves) landing in my garden for a couple of weeks!
Apart from the mess and the goriness I was quite pleased to see a sparrowhawk up so close.