How and Where to Bury a Dead Bird

Download Article

What to do when you find a deceased bird in your yard

Co-authored by Hayley Heartfield

Last Updated: August 12, 2024 Approved

Download Article

Performing the Burial

|

Memorializing the Bird

|

Avoiding the Spread of Disease

|

Expert Q&A

|

Tips

Whether your beloved pet bird has died or you found a dead bird outside, you may be wondering how to bury it. Burying a bird is easy to do and it can help you come to terms with its death. You may even wish to hold a funeral service for the bird or memorialize it in another way.

Things You Should Know

Select a location in your yard with no underground pipes. Avoid burying the bird in gardens to deter scavenger animals.
Dig the hole at least 2 ft (0.61 m) deep and place the bird inside. Then fill in the hole and cover it with stones to protect it.
Wear gloves to handle the bird, and wash your hands with soap and water afterward.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Performing the Burial

Download Article

1
Choose a location. In most cases, you can bury a bird on your own property with few restrictions. Because laws vary from place to place, it's always a good idea to call your municipality to find out if they have any laws regarding the burial of animals.^{[1]
X
Expert Source

Hayley Heartfield
Bird Specialist

Expert Interview. 16 August 2021.}^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Avoid burying a bird or any other animal in a vegetable garden.
- In some areas, there may be restrictions against burying animals if your groundwater level is too high. Check with your local department of environmental conservation to find out.
- If you have cats or dogs, you may want to choose an area that they do not have access to in order to prevent them from digging the bird up.
2
Decide if you want to bury the bird in a container. You do not need to bury the bird in any kind of container unless you want to. If you choose to use a container, be sure that it is not made of potentially toxic materials.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- Pet coffins are used mostly for sentimental reasons, so it's up to you if you would like to use one.^{[4]
  X
  Research source}
- Do not bury anything made of plastic. If you transported the bird to the burial site in a plastic bag, do not bury the bag with the bird. Gently empty the bird into the hole by holding the corners of the bag, seal it and then dispose of the bag in your normal trash.
Advertisement
3
Protect the grave. It's generally a good idea to dig a hole at least two feet deep for a grave. The deeper your hole, the lower the chances will be that a scavenger will come along and dig the bird up. Once you have placed the bird inside the grave, cover it with the dirt that you removed when digging the hole.^{[5]
X
Expert Source

Hayley Heartfield
Bird Specialist

Expert Interview. 16 August 2021.}^{[6]
X
Research source}
- You may also want to consider covering the area with stones or paving blocks to protect it from scavengers.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Memorializing the Bird

Download Article

1
Consider a grave marker. If you want to, you can mark your bird's grave with some kind of marker or memento. This can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose.
- You can mark the spot with a simple stone so everyone knows where it is.
- If you want a more elaborate marker, you could create a personalized headstone. Consider making one out of wood and using paint or a marker to include a personalized message.
- You could also consider purchasing a kit that is typically used to make a concrete stepping stone. This will allow you to decorate your stone and write your pet's name if you wish.
- You could also place a statue of a bird on the grave as a memorial.
2
Think about planting something on the grave. If you don't want to use a grave marker, but you would like to mark the grave and pay respects to the bird, consider planting a beautiful plant on the grave.
- Be sure to choose a plant that tolerates the amount of sun in the area.
- Plant a perennial if you want the plant to keep coming back year after year.
- Don't forget to take good care of the plant so it flourishes.
3
Hold a ceremony to say farewell. If you are saying goodbye to a pet, it may help you feel more at peace if you hold a small funeral. The style of the ceremony is completely up to you.
- You may want to let each member of the family say something about the bird.
- If you would like, you can say a little prayer or sing a song for the bird.
- You can also observe a few moments of silence to honor your feathered friend.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Avoiding the Spread of Disease

Download Article

1
Avoid touching the bird with your bare hands. Whether you are burying a pet bird or a wild bird, you should avoid touching it with your bare hands. It may have died of a disease that you could transmit by touching it, so be very cautious.
- Wear disposable gloves if possible. Throw them away as soon as you are finished handling the bird.
- If you can't wear disposable gloves, wear washable gloves or use a disposable piece of flexible plastic, such as a plastic bag, to protect your hand.
2
Clean up afterwards. After you have handled the bird, it's important to wash your hands thoroughly in order to prevent spreading any germs that you may have picked up from the bird.
- Be sure to disinfect any surfaces in your home that the bird touched as well.
- If the bird touched any of your clothing, wash them in the washing machine in warm water right away.
3
Consider whether the bird should be tested. Most of the time, it is fine to bury a wild bird on your property without reporting it, but in some cases, municipalities ask residents to report dead birds, especially during times of epidemic. If you are unsure whether any such rules apply in your area, contact your local department of public health.
- If you notice large numbers of dead birds, this is definitely worth reporting.

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

My pet bird just died and I have her in a box on my back porch. I live in a town house so I do not know where to bury her. What should I do?

Hayley Heartfield
Bird Specialist
Hayley Heartfield is a Bird Specialist and the Owner of About Birds, a Pet Bird Shop in Montgomery County, Texas. Hayley specializes in pet bird care, behavior, training, and breeding. Hayley studied Animal Science at Texas A&M. About Birds carries many species of birds and offers grooming and boarding services as well as bird care products.

Hayley Heartfield

Bird Specialist

Expert Answer

Contact the authorities to check where the closer legally allowed area for a burial is located. Then, create a hole capable of fitting the animal and bury it.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 15 Helpful 24
Question

What if it's a baby bird?

Community Answer

You should follow the same steps as listed above, but use a tinier box.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 21 Helpful 85
Question

One of my parakeets died and now the other isn't eating. Why is that?

Community Answer

It's possible that your other parakeet is actually mourning the parakeet that passed away. Spend lots of time with your bird and give it plenty of love and attention. In the future, maybe consider getting another parakeet to keep yours company.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 13 Helpful 119

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Tips

If the ground is too frozen to dig a grave, you can keep a pet bird in the freezer until it is warm enough to perform the burial. (Just be sure that the bird is well wrapped so it doesn't come in contact with any food.) You can also consider bringing your pet to the vet to be cremated or having it buried in a pet cemetery.^{[7]
X
Research source}

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 3
If you are not able to bury a dead bird, it is perfectly acceptable to wrap it in plastic and dispose of it with your garbage.

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you want a coffin for your bird that will last a while, avoid using a cardboard box as it will decompose quickly.
If you don't want to make a grave, put it in a birdhouse so it's protected from scavengers.

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!