Dave Currie said the threat of a parasite that had been killing birds earlier this year has passed now that the cold weather has arrived

The president of the Nova Scotia Bird Society says it should be safe to put out bird feeders again.

Dave Currie said the threat of a parasite that had been killing birds earlier this year has passed now that the cold weather has arrived.

"Since mid-June we were faced with this particular problem with this parasite that's been thriving in the environment," he explained. "Many of our purple finches especially died off, and we know they suffered a great deal over the summer."

Trichomoniasis inflames the throats of birds, preventing them from swallowing.

The parasite is spread through food or water that has been contaminated by saliva, regurgitated food, or bird droppings from infected birds, but it doesn't do well in freezing temperatures.

Currie said the most recent reports were just two weeks ago, so he is suggesting people keep a close eye out for sick birds around feeders.

"With this particular outbreak this summer because of the very warm temperatures we had from June on, we experienced a very large number of mortality in these finches."

He said trichomoniasis arrived in Atlantic Canada about 10 years ago and it will likely be an issue again next summer.