Cases of vehicle trauma in Avian Wildlife. Pathological Findings and Diagnosis

Abstract

Traumatic lesions in wild birds referred for necropsy, which were found dead near a road between 2019 and 2021, have been characterized at the Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA) of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Wildlife Health Surveillance of the Canary Islands). The traumatic injuries that have led to the diagnosis of collision with a vehicle are fracture of bones of the axial skeleton, hematomas, presence of liquids in the coelomic cavity, skull fracture and crushing of the body. On the other hand, we have tried to improve the pathological diagnosis of anthropogenic trauma in birds, due to automobile impacts. In order to differentiate between vehicular impact and run over we have taken into account the following criteria: the number of regions affected by fractures, the crushing or not of the body and the presence of skin lacerations.