H5 bird flu is a major threat to wildlife

Your role is important in early detection, as this leads to better control.

Continuing to monitor for H5 bird flu is more important than ever.

If you find sick or dead wild birds, domestic birds, marine mammals or other wildlife showing signs of H5 bird flu:
😷 Avoid contact and keep your distance – do NOT touch them
📝 Record the date, time, location and take photos 📷
☎️ Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 or using the online form.

Download the FACT SHEET here >>

What wildlife is being affected in Australia?

THE LATEST: In Australia, as at 7pm 7 August 2026, there are 175 confirmed detections in wild seabirds:

• 10 confirmed in Western Australia (WA)
• 119 in South Australia (SA)
• 2 in New South Wales (NSW)
• 1 in Queensland (QLD)
• 43 in Victoria (VIC)
  There have been no detections in poultry or the wider agriculture industry.

The situation is dynamic.  Check Australian Government for updated figures.

Most were Giant Petrels and a single Brown Skua ~ migratory, scavenging seabirds that nest on sub-Antarctic islands. In the winter months, they roam the Southern Ocean in search of food, sometimes venturing into Australian waters. 

These are pelagic species – seabirds of the deep ocean that spend much of their lives at sea. Unless stranded or sick, they rarely come ashore. Find out more and how the infection spreads with Birdlife Australia.

Southern Giant Petrel
Wikipedia Jerzy Strzelecki 27 Nov 2018

Devastatingly, the flu has transferred to resident Greater Crested Terns first reported from Robe SA, ABC 10 July 2026, and later a Silver Gull. Now in SA, aerial surveillance located a mass mortality of Greater Crested Terns, ABC 1 August 2026 (bird flu to be confirmed). Watch Birdlife Australia’s summary of situation on 1 August.

Greater Crested Terns are a common Australian resident seabird, usually in flocks, including in Port Stephens and the Hunter. They forage over coastal seas, plunge diving from several metres high as well as skimming the waters surface for fish and other prey.

Mass mortality events in Mutton birds (short-tailed shearwaters) are traditionally caused by exhaustion and food scarcity from warming oceans, but they are now under strict surveillance as Australia tracks the spread of H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza.

All wild birds are potentially susceptible. The greatest risk is to birds that gather in dense colonies at only a few sites, and to scavengers such as birds of prey, gulls, skuas and petrels. Threatened species of particular concern include the Christmas Island frigatebird, Abbott’s booby and the Gould’s petrel.

There are also fears the virus could spread to pets, or to threatened mammals like Tasmanian Devils and Australian Sea Lions. See more on impacts on mammals.

Unfortunately, It is likely that the virus will infect a wider range of Australian birds and mammals.

What is at stake in Port Stephens?

Port Stephens is the second most important estuary in New South Wales (after the Hunter Wetlands) for migratory shorebirds, hosting thousands of these international travellers each summer. Its extensive mudflats, mangroves, and seagrass beds provide crucial feeding and roosting grounds for birds completing epic journeys of up to 25,000 kilometres from the Arctic Circle.

The region holds critical conservation value for several distinct reasons: 

• International significance for the Far Eastern Curlew: Port Stephens regularly hosts over 1% of the world’s population of the critically endangered Far Eastern Curlew, making it a globally significant site for this species. 
• Key species: Along with the Curlew, the estuary provides crucial habitat for the Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Red-necked Stint, and Pacific Golden Plover. 
• Overwintering grounds: While many birds head north to the Arctic to breed during the Australian autumn, a large number of immature (non-breeding) birds “overwinter” in Port Stephens to feed and mature. 
• Prime habitats: Key locations like Swan Bay, Cockle Shell Point (within Gir-um-bit National Park), and the Myall River delta offer extensive seagrass beds, mangroves, and coastal salt marshes that are rich in the worms, mollusks, and small crabs the birds need to survive. 

Nearby rugged islands are home to the Gould’s petrel, Australia’s rarest endemic seabird, and to colonies of Australian fur seals. 

In addition to the migratory birds, our shore and waterbirds are at stake, particularly those that flock like the Greater Crested Terns, Silver Gulls and Black Swans.

Scavenging birds or opportunistic scavengers, including White-bellied Sea Eagles, Brahminy and Whistling Kites and ravens are more at risk.

Worldwide, bird flu has spilled over to both whales and dolphins with scattered individual deaths and infections reported, as well as for terrestrial birds.

Take care to protect your pets, keep them inside, which will also help protect our wildlife.

Surveillance in Port Stephens

Biannual Port Stephens shorebird survey found no sick birds

• 3 August – The survey identified no sick birds and currently the Port Stephens estuary continues to provide a virus-free habitat for shorebirds and waterbirds.

• The survey from Soldiers Point to Jimmy’s Beach, Lemon Tree Passage, Nelson Bay and Swan Bay conducted in partnership with Hunter Bird Observers Club (HBOC) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), identified 2,012 shorebirds and waterbirds with 348 migratory shorebirds and 494 of threatened species.

In NSW, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD), in partnership with the Australian Government, leads the response to any detection of H5 bird flu in NSW.  NSW DPIRD has strengthened surveillance and biosecurity preparedness through additional resources focused on early detection, while also delivering targeted awareness activities to support community reporting and industry preparedness.  See NSW Government response. 

“Under DPIRD direction, National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) response in the Hunter Central Coast for the first week included daily surveillance of the National Park estate, such as Tomaree National Park, Worimi Conservation Lands and Port Stephens areas. monitoring for sick, injured or dead birds and mammals. As no positive samples were recorded, the response as of 13 July is now weekly. 

As part of the coordinated response, NPWS will focus more on offshore islands (Broughton and Little Broughton, Cabbage Tree, Boondelbah), Port islands and remote Port shorelines within its estate, using drones to access its remote areas. DPIRD is working with other relevant land managers in the area.” an NPWS spokesperson said.

Our biosecurity measures through ongoing surveillance is the most effective immediate response. Some localised quarantining (closing off areas) may also occur.

But can we do more locally and across Australia?