Dead Bird Monitoring
Due to the rise and spread of the Avian Flu in Southern Pennsylvania, please report dead birds by clicking the following link : Dead Bird Reporting Form
Birds can be collected for WNV testing, from April 1st through October 30th. If you are interested in submitting a dead bird for testing, call your Mosquito-Borne Disease Control Program Coordinator to see if they are still accepting submissions and for instructions on how and where to submit.
- Only crows, jays, hawks, and owls are accepted for WNV testing.
- Birds must be dead less than 48 hours with no obvious signs of trauma.
- Place ice packs on top of bird and place a bucket over it, until it can be submitted. Do not freeze the specimen.
- Avoid bare-hand contact when handling dead birds. Use rubber gloves when handling a dead bird. If you do not have gloves, insert your hand into a plastic bag, grasp the bird carefully and invert the bag over the bird. Each bird should be placed in a tied plastic bag, and then placed inside a second tied bag.
- If you are not submitting the bird for testing, the bagged bird can be placed in the trash.
