ISLANDERS are being asked to report any dead wild birds they find, following a spate of unexplained crow deaths.
States Vet Susana Ramos said she had been made aware of an increasing number of dead crows.
Monika Anna Bowen, who walks her dog every day in St Ouen’s Bay, said she had found two dead crows in the area – and that another Islander found 13 dead crows in one week.
Ms Bowen said: ‘It’s quite alarming to think they might be reacting to something they ingested or could be sick, possibly with avian flu or other illnesses.
‘Last year, I was actively watching out and unofficially volunteering, reporting sick greylag geese to the Natural Environment team and animal welfare officers. It was truly devastating to witness their immense suffering and agonising deaths first-hand.’
Bird-flu quarantine measures had to be imposed last year for several weeks – following outbreaks at a farm in St Peter and a property in St Lawrence – requiring keepers to house their flocks and keep them separated from wild birds, among other restrictions.
Dead birds can be reported via the ‘Report dead wild birds’ form on the government’s avian flu website or by phone to the Natural Environment reception at 441600.
