Researchers from the Spanish Research Institute of Game Management used camera traps to assess the risks of interaction between wild and domestic birds. The study found that wild birds most often enter poultry farms, with the house sparrow being the most common species interacting with farmed poultry.
According to the Spanish veterinary portal Animal’s Health, in recent years, poultry farming has aimed to improve living conditions, allowing birds to exhibit natural behaviors and interact with the soil and environment. However, this has led to more frequent and closer contacts between domestic and wild birds, as poultry farms, which have food and water, attract many migratory species.
This significantly increases the risk of introducing pathogens that birds encounter during migration and contributes to the spread of various infections such as avian influenza, salmonellosis, and coronaviruses.
Scientists used camera traps to analyze the frequency of contacts between domestic and wild birds at various poultry enterprises, as well as to determine their seasonal dependence. The results showed that wild birds are most commonly found on farms raising red-legged partridges. Second are farms breeding laying hens, both in cages and free-range. The most commonly observed wild birds on poultry farms are house sparrows and black starlings. It is also noted that wild birds most frequently appear on poultry farms in early summer when food and water availability is limited in Mediterranean climate conditions.
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