Wildlife

Wild Avian Influenza: Seabird Population Welfare Impact

High pathogenicity avian influenza H5N1 caused catastrophic seabird mortality from 2021-2024, raising welfare and conservation concerns.

Key Facts

HPAI H5N1 killed millions of seabirds globally in 2021-2024 including gannets, skuas, and terns
Individual birds die from neurological damage including seizures and paralysis over hours to days
Biosecurity prevents human spread of disease to captive birds but cannot protect wild populations
Some species including great skua experienced population-level impacts from HPAI mortality

Welfare Considerations

HPAI-infected seabirds experience neurological suffering from seizures and paralysis during their illness. The scale of mortality - millions of individual animals - represents a welfare crisis of unprecedented size in wild bird populations. Pandemic preparedness for wildlife disease is a welfare priority.

What You Can Do

Report any sick or dead seabirds to the APHA bird disease reporting line
Never touch dead seabirds - report and photograph location instead
Advocate for increased surveillance and contingency planning for wildlife disease events