Officials: backyard bird feeders, bird baths may resume

SPRINGFIELD – Bird lovers may resume using backyard feeders and baths again, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources advised yesterday. The IDNR originally recommended the use of bird feeders and bird baths be suspended in response to the avian influenza in the state. With the annual spring migration of waterfowl and other migratory bird species over, the risk of outbreaks among wild bird populations has been minimized. IDNR continues to encourage people who keep domestic poultry to remain extra vigilant. And because avian flu may still occur in some birds, people should avoid feeding ducks and geese.