Feeding birds can be an enjoyable year-round activity.

But local bird-lovers should keep a few things in mind when catering to their avian friends.

Dana Sanchez, a wildlife specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, encourages individuals to keep bird feeders clean and keep an eye out for ailing birds.

“Sick birds will either be found dead or perched, often with feathers in disarray, eyes squinted or wings held out,” said Sanchez, in a news release from OSU Extension. Healthy birds are active and alert.

Bird feeders can transmit salmonella as well as other diseases, which can be transferred to other birds when they congregate around a feeder or perch.

Individuals who are worried about sick birds should take down the feeder for two to three weeks to allow the disease to run its course and then clean the feeder.

Make sure, too, that children and pets stay away from sick birds.

To keep bird feeders clean, Sanchez offers several tips. Scrape off bird poop and wipe the perches with a cleaning solution made up of one part vinegar and 20 parts water. Try to hang the feeder in a spot where the food will not get wet. Discard any wet feed.

Feed on the ground can attract rodents, so consider cleaning up any seed on the ground at regular intervals.

The extension service also published a guide to feeding backyard birds, which includes lots of information about the best ways to feed and attract birds. The guide suggests that winter is an ideal time to begin feeding birds because the food birds normally eat in nature is not abundant in winter.

The guide can be found online at http://bit.ly/WxaJgU.