Reports of Bird Deaths

33% of survey complete.

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Blue Jay observed after unexplained death. Photo credit: Ginger Rood.

Thank you for taking time to report your observation of a sick or dead bird.

In late May, the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources began receiving reports of sick and dying birds with symptoms of eye swelling and crusty discharge, as well as signs of neurological problems. Wildlife biologists in Indiana, Ohio, Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia have documented similar cases. No definitive cause(s) of sickness or death has been identified at this time. Your report will be reviewed and may help us to better understand this issue.

As of June 17, 2021 unexplained bird deaths have been recorded in several Kentucky counties. Blue Jays, Common Grackles and European Starlings have been the most common species reported. Kentucky Fish & Wildlife and other states' wildlife agencies are working with diagnostic laboratories to investigate the cause(s) of mortality. We have shipped numerous affected bird specimens to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia for pending diagnostics.

Birds congregating at feeders and baths can transmit diseases to one another. Therefore, Kentucky Fish & Wildlife recommends:
1) the public in Jefferson County, Boone County and Kenton County to stop feeding birds until further notice, and
2) everyone in Kentucky clean their bird feeders and bird baths with a 10% bleach solution immediately and then once per week thereafter.

If you must handle dead birds (for example to keep them away from pets) please practice good hygiene: Wear gloves or use a plastic bag to pick up the birds, deposit them into a secured trash can, and then wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. If Kentucky Fish & Wildlife needs to collect a bird or get more information from you based on your report, we will contact you using the phone and/or email address you provide below.

The Department will post additional information on our website, fw.ky.gov, and social media channels as diagnostic results are received.

If you have already reported the dead or sick birds you observed, please exit this online survey at this time. Thank you.

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1. Please enter your contact information below in case we need to get in touch about your observation.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email Address:

Phone Number:

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2. How many SICK birds did you observe at this site? (Include only sick birds not previously reported to the Department)

Number of SICK birds observed:

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3. How many DEAD birds did you observe at this site? (Include only dead birds not previously reported to the Department)

Number of DEAD birds observed:

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4. In which Kentucky county did you observe the unexplained sick or dead bird(s)?

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5. What kind (species) of sick or dead bird(s) did you observe?

	Number Sick:	Number Dead:
Blue Jay	Blue Jay Number Sick: menu	Blue Jay Number Dead: menu
European Starling	European Starling Number Sick: menu	European Starling Number Dead: menu
Common Grackle	Common Grackle Number Sick: menu	Common Grackle Number Dead: menu

Other (please list each species observed with number sick and number dead, like this: Robin - 1 dead, 1 sick; Cardinal - 1 sick)

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6. Which of the following symptoms did you observe on any of the birds above? (Select all that apply)

Crusty or swollen eyes

Blindness

Poor balance

Seizures or trembling

Did not fly when approached by humans

Other (please specify):

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7. What was the date you observed the dead or sick birds?

Select Month/Day/Year:

Date

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8. What was the site like where you found the dead or sick bird(s)?

Urban or Suburban Residential Neighborhood

Public Park or Natural Area

Farm or other Rural Area

Other (please specify):

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9. What are the LAT / LONG coordinates for the location where you observed the dead or sick bird(s)? (You can obtain LAT/Long coordinates from a smart phone, GPS, or map website such as Google Maps. This is extremely helpful information for us if you can provide it. )

Latitude (LAT) - For example, 37.7763

Longitude (LONG) - For example, -84.7021

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10. If you do not have the LAT/LONG coordinates for the location, please describe the location as exactly as possible. List either the closest street address, or nearest intersection of roads, or a similar identifiable location we can use for mapping.

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11. Which of the following best describes you, personally, in relationship to this report?

Property owner (reporting sick/dead deer on my land or property)

Other Observer/Member of the Public (reporting sick/dead deer not on my property)

KDFWR Staff (Wildlife Biologist, Conservation Officer, Technician, etc.)

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12. Please upload a photo showing the dead or sick bird(s).

Pictures in focus will be most helpful.

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

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13. Please upload a second photo of the dead or sick bird(s), clearly showing any visible symptoms if possible.

Pictures in focus that clearly show any obvious symptoms (crusty eyes, etc.) will be helpful.

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

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14. Please upload a third photo of the dead or sick bird(s), if possible showing all species if more than one was observed.

Pictures in focus that clearly show all species affected (if more than one type of bird) will be helpful.

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

If you have additional photos that you believe would be helpful, please email them to fw.publicaffairs@ky.gov

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15. Are you a KDFWR staff member submitting this report on behalf of a member of the public?

Yes