Birds showing evidence of potential poxvirus infection (i.e. cutaneous lesions such as hyperplastic nodules on unfeathered portions of legs, feet or head suspicious of viral infection) were recorded. Cutaneous lesions were swabbed or biopsied using sterile swabs placed in virus transport buffer (PBS, 1% of a dilution of 200mM L-glutamine, 10.000 U penicillin and 10 mg streptomycin/ml, and 0.5% gelatine) for samples obtained in the southern Spain. Swab samples from central Spain were placed in PBS and tissue samples were stored dry. Swabs were rubbed vigorously against the surface of the skin lesion. For tissue samples, a minimally invasive biopsy was excised from the edges of lesions, and great care was taken to not cause bleeding. In the infrequent event of haemostasis, digital pressure was applied to the site of the bleeding, taking care not to break the fragile avian bones. All samples were immediately frozen in portable liquid nitrogen containers or kept in cold-boxes and subsequently frozen in the laboratory on the same day. Samples were stored at -80°C awaiting molecular analysis.