# Do I have to report the dead bird on my back deck? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721 "2004-07-18T21:20:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/1 "2004-07-18T21:20:13Z")
We just looked out the window onto our back deck and saw a dead bird there. It doesn’t appear to have smashed into the window and fallen nor, so far as I can tell without moving it, does there appear to be blood. I vaguely remember hearing somewhere that dead birds are supposed to be reported in case of possible bird flu, or something, I believe. Is this right? If so, who do I call? ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/2 "2004-07-18T21:24:50Z")
If you live in an area that has experienced West Nile Virus (not bird flu - that afflicts primarily domestic poultry, I believe), and the dead bird is a crow, you might want to call your county’s animal control or public health folks. Otherwise, it’s worth remembering that thousands of little birds die every day, so it’s inevitable that once in a while, one of them will probably show up on your deck. So, if it’s just a finch, for example, I’d just toss it into the nearest wooded area, and let nature reclaim it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/3 "2004-07-18T21:25:10Z")
IIRC, you should call your local county health department. They should come by and pick up the bird and check it for West Nile virus. ---
**Author:** ![dre2xl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/34f0e0/32.png) [@dre2xl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dre2xl)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/4 "2004-07-18T21:28:00Z")
> [@monica](#): > > We just looked out the window onto our back deck and saw a dead bird there. It doesn’t appear to have smashed into the window and fallen nor, so far as I can tell without moving it, does there appear to be blood. I vaguely remember hearing somewhere that dead birds are supposed to be reported in case of possible bird flu, or something, I believe. Is this right? If so, who do I call? I’ve seen several birds die from smashing into glass and they don’t look “Smashed into the window”, they are just as you describe… lying on the deck, motionless, no blood or apparent injuries or anything. So I vote that it just smashed into the glass. Besides, if birds were ill enough to die, how could they be flying? ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/5 "2004-07-18T21:40:19Z")
It appears to be a lovebird, if that makes any difference. Also, there’s no mark on the glass, either, from a crashing bird. The windows were just cleaned yesterday, so I would imagine that we would be able to see _something_. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/6 "2004-07-18T21:55:58Z")
Call your local public health board and they’ll quickly make it clear whether or not they are interested in further measures. Probably not. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/7 "2004-07-18T22:03:57Z")
> [@monica](#): > > It appears to be a lovebird, if that makes any difference. Where are you?! Lovebirds don’t occur in the wild anywhere in the New World, AFAIK. They’re only seen here as pets, so if it _is_ a lovebird, it’s somebody’s escaped parrot, and probably died of starvation! ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/8 "2004-07-18T22:28:36Z")
Here in So Cal, we’ve been getting rid of dead sparrows and crows (all virus-infected, we believe) by placing them into multiple tough plastic bags–without touching them, of course), tying them shut and putting them in the trash. I wouldn’t leave them lying around. I just scooped a dead crow out of the back yard today, so it’s “fresh” (so to speak) in my mind. If there were standing water and mosquitoes around, I’d be a lot more worried. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/9 "2004-07-18T22:44:50Z")
> [@Early Out](#): > > Where are you?! Lovebirds don’t occur in the wild anywhere in the New World, AFAIK. They’re only seen here as pets, so if it _is_ a lovebird, it’s somebody’s escaped parrot, and probably died of starvation! Let me clarify: I am dreadful at identifying bird types, so I asked my mother- she said she _thinks_ it’s a lovebird. It’s quite possible that it’s not, though. I’m in Virginia Beach, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2004, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/10 "2004-07-19T06:15:13Z")
Is it a little parakeetish-looking green birdie with pink/peach fuzzy cheeks? Then, yeah, it’s probably a lovebird. Otherwise, could be an escaped parkeet, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2004, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/11 "2004-07-19T13:29:23Z")
I would definitely call Animal Control, Public Health, Vector Control or whatever you have there in Virginia Beach, even if they elect to do nothing. Couldn’t hurt, and it might call attention to a public health concern before it becomes a real issue. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/12 "2004-07-19T20:24:20Z")
I may wind up calling somebody after all, since ANOTHER friggin’ dead crow just showed up in the back yard this morning! Maybe someone would like to know that the virus is spreading farther west. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/13 "2004-07-19T22:03:28Z")
In California, they’re tracking the spread of West Nile. If you have a dying, or just dead bird you can have it picked up by contacting 877 WNV-BIRD, or logging onto the website at [www.westnile.ca.gov](http://www.westnile.ca.gov) . They’ll pick up the bird and test it, but they can’t test birds that have been dead for too long. They say it’s only as far north as Riverside County at the moment. I’m not sure if they pick up all species, but we were calling about ducks and they would have been willing to pick one up if ours had been . . um. . fresher. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/14 "2004-07-20T01:21:27Z")
Thank you, **Yllaria**. I just logged on and made my report. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/15 "2004-07-24T00:13:38Z")
Update - according to NPR we now have confirmed WNV as far north as southern Sacramento County. Including an owl in San Joaquin County (of interest to me because that’s MY county). Use your mosquito repellant. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/16 "2004-07-24T02:08:02Z")
I’ll get the repellent tomorrow; I’ve put it off more than long enough. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/17 "2004-07-24T02:15:27Z")
A bird dies. What makes you think this is abnormal? Do birds live forever in your neighborhood? A dead animal on my patio is usually taken quickly by a crow, fox or whatever. Natural processes are at work. I say let nature take its corpse. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/18 "2004-07-24T02:16:50Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > I may wind up calling somebody after all, since ANOTHER friggin’ dead crow just showed up in the back yard this morning! Maybe someone would like to know that the virus is spreading farther west. I read this wrong and I was thinking “Who would wait until the _second_ dead cow showed up in their back yard before calling someone?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/19 "2004-07-24T02:22:51Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > A bird dies. What makes you think this is abnormal? Do birds live forever in your neighborhood? > > A dead animal on my patio is usually taken quickly by a crow, fox or whatever. Natural processes are at work. I say let nature take its corpse. 🙂 You might have missed other portions of this thread. We’re talking here about hundreds or thousands of birds dropping dead from West Nile Virus, and we are asked to report it so the state can track the spread of it. ---
**Author:** ![olefin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@olefin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/olefin)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721/20 "2004-07-24T03:27:26Z")
We have 5 large windows (4 X 5 feet). The windows are Low E glass and are reflective… therefore from the outside the trees show in the windows. Common to find dead birds, no blood, no marks on glass but sometimes we hear them hit the glass so we know what happen. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-to-report-the-dead-bird-on-my-back-deck/255721.md?page=2)