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Dead Bird Reporting

Public Reporting

Public reports of dead corvids (ravens, crows, magpies, jays) are useful for the surveillance of West Nile Virus in BC and should be reported. These particular species are targeted because they are very sensitive to West Nile Virus and often die from infection.

Note: corvids are not susceptible to avian influenza and will not be tested for this virus. If non-corvids are found, please refer to the BC Interagency Wild Bird Mortality Investigation Plan

  • Call your local Health Authority. This year, a sample of dead Corvid (crows, ravens, jays, nutcrackers) found will be collected and tested for the virus; however, the process for collecting samples varies by health authority. Some encourage members of the public to report dead Corvids while others use Parks department staff, the SPCA and others to find samples for submission.

Please note: dead corvid reporting has two purposes - if a corvid is not damaged or decayed, it may be possible to test it for WNv, and it may be picked up by a health authority representative; otherwise, if it is not possible to test it, tracking the location of dead corvids is still helpful to identify possible activity of WNv. Individuals are encouraged to check with the offices within their local health authorities. If testing will not be carried out, return to this website page and click on the link below that says "Reporting Dead Birds Online". You can then enter the appropriate information. Contact information can be found in the blue pages of the telephone book or at the following:

  • Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (Map): http://www.vch.ca. There is no corvid collection. Please report dead corvids using our online form.
  • Fraser Health Authority (Map): http://www.fraserhealth.ca. or call toll free:
    • 1-888-WNV-LINE (1-888-968-5463)
  • Interior Health Authority (Map): www.interiorhealth.ca or call toll free:
    • 1-866-300-0520 (corvids only collected in southern regions; deaths in other regions can be reported on the this website)
  • Vancouver Island Health Authority (Map): www.viha.ca/mho/ or call toll free:
    • 1-866-WNV-VIHA (1-866-968-8442)
  • Northern Health Authority (Map): No corvid collection, but dead birds can still be reported on this website.
  • Reporting Dead Birds Online: If the local Health Authority will not be able to collect your dead bird, you can report the death online by clicking on link above. Birds reported in this way will not be collected and tested for the virus and can be disposed of after the report is made. Information on the location of dead birds is mapped and analyzed to detect areas of the province with greater than expected corvid deaths.
Last Updated: September 2, 2009
 

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