Here it is the priest who kills the bird. Compare verse 5, where the priest commands others to perform the ritual killing of the bird. The same problems exist in this verse with regard to the exact positioning of the person performing the sacrifice, the bird, the clay pot, and the spring water. See the earlier discussion.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .