Whilst there have not been a lot of wild birds found with the bird flu virus in the current (2016/7) winter, the cases have been widespread across the country. Defra ask that members of the public report dead wild birds – such as swans, geese, ducks, gulls or birds of prey – to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77. Defra will then collect some of these birds and test them to help us understand how the disease is distributed geographically and in different types of bird. See Defra news item.