Seeking Safety

This little fella is suffering from House Finch Eye Disease. A mycoplasmal conjucntivitis (caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum) which displays symptoms of swollen crusty eyes that leads to blindness. It was noticed by birders who reported observations from their feeders to the Cornell Ornithology Lab in 1994 after a particularly cold and erratic winter. The disease is believed to have crossed the barrier from domestic turkeys and chickens, where it is very common, to the wild population due to foraging in barn yards because of the lack of natural food. The infected birds are observed to be lethargic, often puffed up and sitting quietly alone in the yard, and clumsily scratching their eyes, Some birds recover, however, more often they die from starvation, exposure or predation.
I was so sorry to see this specimen seeking shelter and warmth on my front porch because a few years ago it was failrly prevelent here...I had hoped this disease was on the down swing.