The first time you see a bird ravaged by avian pox, it’s a bit disconcerting. Accustomed to seeing pretty, fluffy-feathered birds at your feeders and birdbaths, one that looks more like a vulture than a songbird easily stands out from the rest.
Over the years I’ve frequently caught a glimpse of blue jays afflicted with avian pox, but until this year, never managed to be quick enough to capture a photo. They do tend to keep a low profile and seem more reticent than healthy birds. The one at left was by itself, which is odd for blue jays, as they usually make the feeder rounds in pairs or small flocks.
Afflicted birds have no feathers on their heads. Some may have nodules around their beaks, eyes and feet. These may interfere with sight, breathing and eating. Not only do these poor birds look miserable, they probably feel that way too.
A healthy blue jay visiting the same birdbath.
Avian pox can be transmitted from one bird to another directly or indirectly wherever birds share surfaces, such as birdbaths, feeders and tree branches. Mosquitoes are also known to play a role in the transmission. Once a bird survives a bout of avian pox, it acquires immunity for life and is no longer a carrier.
Flandrum Hill 
Oh dear, that poor bird looks sooo miserable… I hope the healthy blue jay in the last picture does not catch the disease too. They are suuuch beautiful birds – we do not have them here, I think.
Reggie, it certainly does look like it’s suffering. Blue jays are native to North America. I don’t believe they’re found elsewhere on the planet. They are indeed beautiful with their striking blue feathers.
I’m not sure if it was the same disease, but a friend who lived on the edge of the bush had to get rid of her many feeders because of a disease outbreak that left sad little carcasses under her feeders. No matter how much she cleaned the feeders and raked up the husks, the sheer volume of avian visitors made it impossible to control the spread. So sad.
Cindy, that’s awful, especially for such a bird-lover like your friend. This virus occurs worldwide and afflicts many types of birds. They usually don’t die unless their respiratory system is compromised.
O! I could never have thought of it…we have vaccines, poor birds must acquire immunity the hard way. Since I have suffered chicken pox, I can empathize with them but just hope it is not transferable to humans.
Swaps, don’t worry, it’s not transferable to humans. We take for granted our many vaccines. I don’t think children even get sick with chicken pox anymore as there is a vaccine for that too now.
Poor little fellow – interesting comments also. Thanks for sharing with us, I’ve never seen this in our birds.
On the rare occasion when I saw a Jay that looked like this, I assumed it was a youngster going through that “awkward” stage. I’m sorry to learn the truth. I’ll have to be more diligent about cleaning my feeders.
Sybil, as we discussed yesterday, you might be able to clean your feeders but you can’t scrub down the tree branches or the whole deck weekly.
Poor thing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an affected bird, but then I wasn’t really looking for it either. Now that I know though I can keep my eye out for it,
Hi Grace, sometimes years go by between sightings I’ve had. It doesn’t help that afflicted birds do seem a bit more shy. None of us want to go out in public when we’re not feeling well.
I take heart from your last sentence–lifetime immunity and no longer a danger to others sounds like the best possible outcome for a poxy bird. I’ll be watching for symptoms now that I know what to look for.
Pamela, nature always has an up side 🙂
Interesting pics
Wolfrosebud, if you didn’t know it was a blue jay, you’d perhaps wonder what type of odd bird it was.
Poor thing! Do most birds with avian pox survive? Do the feathers on their heads eventually grow back?
Barbara, most do survive. The feathers on their heads do grow back.
Thank you for sharing this information. I didn’t know the specifics of this.
Kathy, I wish I knew more about it, but on the other hand, I’m glad it’s not more common than it is.