Instructions:
Please use our
online contact form (select environmental services) to submit reports of dead Crows, Blue Jays, Robins,
Cardinals, European Starlings, Grackle, Sparrows, Owls, Eagles and Hawks. In the message please include
the location, date, and time the bird was found and if it was dead or dying. Also
include your name and phone number so we can contact you. This information is required
so that reports can be adequately analyzed and follow-up
can be conducted if necessary. Thank you for participating in this ongoing surveillance
effort!
Please
DO NOT REPORT a bird that is decomposed, mauled by an animal,
crushed, hit by a truck, etc. These birds cannot be properly examined in a laboratory for the
WNV virus. We are primarily concerned with birds you have found that either
obviously died recently or seem to by dying with no apparent injuries.
Your report of a dead bird is extremely important
to us because dead bird reports may indicate the presence of West Nile virus. If
you do not receive a call back from the Health Department within 2 business days
of making your report, please dispose of the bird in the manner indicated below.
There is currently no evidence that West Nile virus can be spread directly from
birds to people. However, dead birds can carry a variety of diseases and, therefore,
should never be handled with bare hands.
To dispose of a dead bird, use plastic or latex gloves to carefully place it in
a
double plastic bag. Or you may use a doubled plastic bag as a glove to pick up
the bird. Then wrap the bird in the bag, tie it off and place it in the outdoor
trash. Wash your hands with soap and water when finished.