Legal cases involving birds: the role of the veterinary surgeon.

Since the passing of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, veterinary surgeons have had an increasingly important role to play in legal cases concerning wild animals, especially birds. This paper proposes guidelines for those who may be asked to investigate birds clinically, to carry out post mortem examinations or to perform laboratory tests. The importance of developing and using standard techniques is emphasised and attention is drawn to the need for more detailed research in the field of avian forensic pathology.