A finch in time saves nine

This gorgeous male goldfinch, resplendent in his breeding plumage, was unfortunately struck down by a bacterial eye disease, conjunctivitis , which disproportionately affects finches. Although he’s out of action for now, the good news is that someone found him and brought him to Philadelphia Metro Wildlife Center in time, and, after a course of oral and ophthalmic antibiotics, he should make a full recovery and be released! He should be released in time for his breeding season, which is much later than for most songbirds (who breed in the spring). Hopefully he’ll still be able to find a mate and raise young this year (although probably not nine of them! )He’ll just have to wait around in quarantine for a while, like most of us. We have plenty of thistle seed though,his favorite food.