Environmental Health
Reporting Dead Crows, Blue Jays and Robins
The West Nile Virus (WNV) infects certain wild birds. When WNV infected mosquitoes bite a bird, the bird serves as a host for the virus. More mosquitoes become infected when they feed when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can transmit WNV to humans.
Infected crows, blue jays and robins are known to get sick and die from WNV, so they are excellent early indicators of WNV presence in an area. Surveillance and testing of dead crows, blue jays and robins is a tool utilized to check for WNV activity in the environment. When WNV has been identified in an area, this allow for implementation of prevention and control measure to minimize the spread of the virus.
In previous years, WNV has been indentified throughout Knoxville/Knox County. That's why Knox County Health Department monitors dead crows, blue jays and robins as an effective means for early detection of the virus in an area. Anyone who finds a freshly dead crow, blue jay or robin on his or her property can call the Knox County Health Department at 865-215-5200 to report the dead bird. Callers will be asked a series of questions to help determin if the bird is acceptable for testing.
Q:Has the bird been dead less than 24 hours? We will not accept birds unless they have been dead for less than 24 hours.
Q: Is the bird decomposed? Presence of maggots or a strong odor indicates decomposition is occurring.
Q: Type of bird found? See the pictures below. If unsure, we cannot utilize the bird for testing.
Q: Is the bird intact? If the bird is missing body parts, it is not suitable for testing and should be discarded.
Please use the following instructions when submitting dead birds for WNV testing through KCHD:
1. Make sure the dead bird fits these criteria:
- American crow, blue jay or robin found in Tennessee
- Less than 24 hours since death
- No odor or maggots to indicate tissue decomposition
- The bird is intact
Birds from left to right:
American crow: Tip of bill to tip of tail is 15 -17 inches.
Blue jay: Tip of bill to tip of tail is 9-11 inches.
Robin: Tip of bill to tip of tail is 10-11 inches.
2. Wear glove while handling the carcass (as is prudent for handling any dead wild animal). If gloves aren't available, a plastic bag can be placed over the hand, then pick up the bird and pull the bag inside-out over the carcass.
3. Double-bag the carcass in a resealable clear storage bag or other clear plastic bag so the bird and be seen through the bag.
4. Keep the carcass in a disposable cooler (styrofoam) or utility refrigerator and keep it out of the sun. Keeping the bird cool will slow tissue decomposition.
5. Knox County Health Department will need the following information when the carcass is submitted for testing:
- Name and phone of the person submitting the bird
- Location of where bird was found: street address, city, county, zip code
- Type of bird and date it was found
