Can you explain the bird/tick connection? I’m not following what you mean.
Ticks go through multiple stages in their development, each one very specific and any interruption of the “right” sequence determines whether or not a tick goes on to spread to Lyme.
They’re not born infected, they get infected and then they hitch rides on whatever they can.
For whatever reason, the birds were the big issue, here.
Once I stopped having them congregate at feeders that was the end of the tick issue.
I had a really good site that explained it in great detail but for now, this should help, until I find the other site.
I still feed them, mostly in the winter when they need it, but only in the front yard where the dogs never go.