HANCOCK COUNTY — Many Indiana counties are free to feed the birds again, the state Department of National Resources has said, but Hancock County is not among them.
Birds in Indiana have been coming down with a still-undetermined disease that causes neurological symptoms and death, and the DNR had previously advised people across the state to take down their bird feeders in an attempt to stop the birds from congregating.
As of Monday, Aug. 9, the DNR has said the spread is limited and the ban on bird feeding only needs to apply to a handful of counties where the disease is most prevalent. Hancock is among those counties whose residents should still wait before placing feeders.
“Based on the data, it appears that the bird illness is consistently affecting specific areas,” the DNR said in a press release. “There is no imminent threat to people, the population of specific bird species, or to the overall population of birds in Indiana.”
Other counties where people are advised not to feed birds for now include Allen, Carroll, Clark, Floyd, Hamilton, Hendricks, Johnson, Lake, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Porter, St. Joseph, Tippecanoe and Whitley.
The DNR is continuing to work on identifying the disease but have ruled out several that are communicable to humans, like avian flu. The illness has impacted songbirds of several species, including robins, blue jays, starlings and grackles.
Residents who spot a sick or dead bird can report it online at on.in.gov/sickwildlife. If it is necessary to move a sick or dead bird, it should be done carefully and with gloves on.