Tonight when I got home I found a dead Band-tailed Pigeon in my yard near
one of my feeders. I examined it and can see no external trauma. It is
strange. I have found 5 of 6 piles of band-tailed pigeon feathers this year
which I presume is a result of a Cooper's kill.

But I didn't see a scratch on this bird. I swear those pigeon must be
spreading the word because we have had over 20 at one time the last few
days.

I will contact the Burke and see what they want me to do. Right now the body
is double bagged and in the freezer.

Doug Schurman
Seattle - Olympic Hills

-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Christine
Southwick
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 9:58 AM
To: Mike Wagenbach
Cc: Tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] flicker carcass

Label date location, probable cause of death, Double bag, put in freezer.

Burke Museum always wants birds. If they don't need for collection, they
need for classes teaching skin preservation.
Technically, unless you have a permit to transport, then you should find
someone, or organization that is permitted to transport and give the carcass
to them.
In reality, if you call the Burke first (206) 543-1668) there should be a
problem.

See Burke Museum FAQ below:

What should I do when I find a dead bird?
A: To be valuable as scientific specimens, salvaged birds must have date and
locality information. Include the time of day that the bird died (only if
known accurately) and nature of death (e.g., window kill), along with any
other associated observations, and your name and contact information in case
we have questions when we prepare it. Never guess about data. Every specimen
has the potential to be used in research, and wrong information is much
worse than no information.

You can attach information to a bird by tying a tag to its leg, or by
including a note written in permanent pen or pencil. Place the bird in a
sealed plastic bag (such as Ziploc), freeze it, and transport it to the
Burke Museum at your earliest convenience. If needed, call the Ornithology
Office (206) 543-1668 for further instructions. The Washington
Ornithological Society also collects salvaged birds for the Burke at its
monthly meetings at the Center for Urban Horticulture.

Isn't it illegal for me to salvage dead birds?
A: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act gives federal protection to all but a
handful of birds (including some game birds and invasive, introduced species
such as the European Starling Sturnus vulgaris, House Sparrow Passer
domesticus, and Rock Dove Columba livia (Pigeon). So, yes, technically, it
is illegal to possess or transport most birds (or bird parts) without a
permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In practice, however, the local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office and
the State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife allow the public to possess birds for
the time needed to deliver them to an approved educational institution such
as the Burke Museum. Thus, if you call one of these offices having found a
dead bird, they will likely refer you to our Ornithology Division. You
should not consider keeping the material for your own use.


Christine Southwick
N Seattle/Shoreline
clsouthwick at pugetsoundbirds.org