2. Clip the nail short enough to allow bleeding (avoid clipping too high since this may be uncomfortable for the bird). If blood is not present, gently squeeze the toe until blood appears. Ensure that the toenail clipper is thoroughly cleaned with alcohol between birds. 3. Allow a small amount of blood to bead up and carefully touch the corner of the card to the blood bead (only one or two drops is required). Sample only one bird per card.
4. Leave the card to dry for approximately 20 minutes at room temperature. Once the card is dry, place it into the small envelope provided (only 1 card per envelope).
5. Once the samples have dried and the cards have been placed in their individual envelopes and sealed, the envelopes may be collected and placed into a mailing envelope. Ensure ID information is on the cards and the submission form provided. If you are not submitting the sample(s) immediately, store the cards at room temperature in a dark dry location. Cards can be stored in this fashion for several weeks.
FEATHER COLLECTION
2. Pluck 4-6 medium sized feathers from the chest area of the bird and place them in a zip-lock bag. The quantity of feathers plucked is not as important as the quality. Ensure that the feather tip, which is attached to the skin, is present (white coloration). Large feathers may contain some blood which should be left on the feather.
3. Sample only feathers from one bird per zip-lock bag. Mark the bird’s identification number or name directly on the bag with magic marker (alternatively, place a piece of paper with the birds name and species in the bag). Ensure that the submission form is properly filled out including your name, address (and other contact information), as well as the bird name and species.
