Have You Found a Dead Bird?

If you find a dead bird that seems to have died without cause - not likely a window or car kill, nor due to an outdoor cat - please report your finding by calling 1-800-606-8768.

Any bird might be a valuable museum specimen.  If you think your dead bird might be of interest to the Burke Museum, please follow the steps below to salvage it.

Care of Dead Birds for Burke Museum   

1. Fill out data tag with name, phone number, date, location where found and cause, if known. Attach the tag to one of the bird’s legs.
2. Stuff a small piece of an absorbent material such as Kleenex down the throat of the bird.
3. If the bird is large, fold in the head and legs to form a compact package. Wrap with a piece of newspaper.
4. Put the bird into a plastic bag, squeeze out the extra air and seal the bag.
5. Store the specimen in a freezer. Birds keep for months if frozen.
   

You can get the bird to the Burke Museum using any of the following methods:

• Deliver it directly to the Burke Museum
• Take it to the monthly Washington Ornithological Society  (WOS) meeting at the Center for Urban Horticulture (first Monday of each month) 
  
• Call the museum staff at 206-543-1668
  
• Take it to Hugh Jennings (425-746-6351) just before WOS meeting night and he will take to the meeting