The Health Unit is only interested in these three types of birds for testing, unless a large group of another species is inexplicably found dead in one area. Use the pictures and links below to make sure the bird is definitely a crow, raven or Blue jay.

The bird must be in good condition, meaning that it must not be dry, decomposing, dismembered, crushed, partially eaten by other animals, or have maggots.

The Health Unit will not collect a bird that has been dead for days. Cover the bird with a box as soon as it is found to protect it from the sun and other animals. Report the dead bird to the Health Unit immediately. The Health Unit does not collect birds on weekends. If you find a dead bird on a Friday evening, Saturday, or Sunday, dispose of the bird and call the Health Unit Monday morning to report a dead bird sighting.

Disposing of a dead bird
If the Health Unit will not be collecting the bird, use instructions below to dispose of the bird yourself.

1. Birds can carry other diseases besides West Nile Virus. No one should handle a dead bird with bare hands.
2. Handle birds with 2 layers of heavy weight garbage bags, or thick household rubber gloves.
3. Pick up the bird with gloved hands and place in two heavy-weight garbage bags, or grasp the bird with your hand protected by several layers of heavy-weight garbage bags and turn the bags inside-out over the bird so it ends up inside the bags, with your hand on the outside.
4. Make sure the bag is not punctured with the bird's beak or claws.
5. Securely tie or knot the top of the bag and place in an outside garbage container with other household garbage. The bird can be put to the curb on garbage collection day.
6. After disposing of the bird, wash gloved hands well with soap and warm water. Remove the gloves and wash bare hands well with soap and warm water.

A crow is often mistaken for a blackbird or a grackle. Click on the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, West Nile Virus Bird Identification page. The page contains written descriptions and pictures of several species of birds.