Wild Seabird Avian Influenza Welfare

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is causing mass mortality in seabird colonies globally. The welfare and conservation implications are severe and ongoing.

Key Facts

HPAI H5N1 has caused mass mortality in gannet, skua, and tern colonies across the North Atlantic since 2021
Mortality rates of 50-90% at some affected colonies represent unprecedented welfare and conservation events
HPAI causes rapid neurological deterioration with observable distress before death in affected seabirds
Infected birds found alive on beaches are in severe distress requiring triage by rehabilitation centers
No effective intervention exists at colony scale, making prevention through biosecurity the primary tool

Welfare Considerations

HPAI seabird welfare represents a mass mortality event of unprecedented scale causing suffering in millions of wild birds with limited capacity for human intervention. Individual affected birds found alive are in severe neurological distress. Rehabilitation center capacity is overwhelmed by the scale of sick birds reaching coastlines. The welfare emergency underscores the fragility of wildlife populations to novel disease challenges.

What You Can Do

Report sick or dead seabirds to relevant wildlife monitoring and disease surveillance schemes
Avoid handling dead seabirds due to HPAI infection risk
Support seabird rehabilitation centers managing the extraordinary caseload from HPAI outbreaks
Donate to seabird conservation organizations working on population recovery from HPAI losses