Australia is already in an extinction crisis, and now, the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has reached our shores.
With this news, the conversation has shifted from preparedness to building resilience, and the need to minimise all other threats to help Australia’s vulnerable wildlife weather the storm.
What's the latest on H5N1?
On the 10th of July 2026, Australia’s Minister for Agriculture confirmed that the H5N1 strain of bird flu had been detected in an Australian bird.
The infected greater crested tern in South Australia marked the first confirmation that the virus had spread from migratory birds to a mainland Australia-based species.
The viral strain was first detected on the Australian mainland almost a month prior in a brown skua (a migratory bird) near Esperance in Western Australia. Since then, cases have been confirmed in more birds in Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales.
What species are at risk?
Birds
All wild birds can contract the H5N1 strain of bird flu, but some species are more susceptible than others.
Birds at most risk include those that:
gather in large numbers
share their habitats with other species
are hunters and scavengers
nest in colonies and are isolated to only a few sites, like the threatened Abbott’s booby.
Birds that could be more susceptible to H5N1 include black swans, Australian pelicans, little penguins and species of petrels and eagles.
Almost 1 in 6 Australian bird species are already at risk of extinction. They are up against the destruction of their forest and woodland homes, the impacts of climate change and predation by introduced species. The arrival of H5N1 underscores the need to address these other threats, so the populations can become more resilient. Many experts and groups (including ACF) are calling on the Federal Government to invest $200 million over two years to help shore up species’ ability to withstand the virus.
While there are currently no outbreaks in poultry farms in Australia, the virus can of course also infect birds like chickens and turkeys.
Pelicans are one of the species particularly susceptible to H5N1. Image by Erwin Jackson.
Mammals
One of the scary things about H5N1 bird flu is its ability to skip between taxa – that is, its ability to spread from birds to mammals.
Threatened species like the Tasmanian devil and Australian sea lion are particularly at risk of infection.
Humans can also contract the H5N1 strain of bird flu, with severity of the illness ranging from mild symptoms to fatal. Two out of the 71 people infected in the USA by this strain have since died. Fortunately, the risk to humans in Australia is currently considered low and there have not been any recorded cases in the world of H5N1 being spread from person to person. Everyone should still take steps to protect against bird flu.
Australian sea lions are at risk from H5N1. Image by Rich Carey/Shutterstock.
Why is the arrival of H5N1 in Australia cause for concern?
H5N1 has devastated wildlife, communities, agriculture and economies since it started spreading more widely around the globe in 2021.
The deadly strain was first identified in domestic waterfowl in 1996, with scattered outbreaks since then. By the end of 2021, it had spread across continents and at the beginning of 2022 there were major outbreaks in the US. More than 200 million captive and commercial birds have died in the United States, making it the biggest animal health emergency in US history.
The virus has also been devastating for wildlife, impacting more than 700 species around the globe. In South America alone, 650,000 wild birds have been reported dead, with untold numbers unreported.
In the UK, two of the world’s largest colonies of gannets have been hit so hard they aren’t expected to recover until 2041 at the earliest.
When the virus spread along the coasts of Peru and Chile in 2022-2023, around 30,000 South American sea lions died. To give some perspective, endangered Australian sea lions number between just 10,000 to 12,000 individuals. If this virus can wipe out 30,000 of a comparable species overseas, the virus could devastate our entire Australian sea lion population.
The Federal Government has identified 150 unique Australian bird species and ten mammals at ‘very high risk’ from H5N1 bird flu. These include the critically endangered swift parrot and orange-billed parrot, more ‘common’ species like black swans and fairy terns and mammals like already threatened Australian sea lions and Tasmanian devils.
In Australia, we have high levels of ‘endemism’, meaning many of the species here are found nowhere else. Should they be wiped out here, they cannot be ‘repopulated’ from elsewhere. This means the arrival of H5N1 signals the risk of extinction for some species.
While the arrival of H5N1 is scary, there are lots of amazing organisations working hard to protect animals at risk.
At ACF, we campaign to protect precious threatened species, raising alarm bells when they are under threat and pushing for long-term solutions to help populations become more resilient. With H5N1 on our shores, our work to protect threatened animals is more important than ever.
What can you do?
Community vigilance and reporting is already playing a critical role in helping authorities track the spread of bird flu in Australia. We all need to be on alert.
AVOID - if you see a bird or mammal that you think is unwell, don't touch it and keep your distance. H5N1 is transmissible to humans and keeping a distance reduces stress on animals.
RECORD – if safe to do so, take a photo or video of what you're seeing. Record the time, date and exact location of the animal.
REPORT - call the Animal Emergency Disease 24-hour hotline 1800 675 888. They'll make a record and pass you onto your State or Territory authority who will take more info.
You can also support organisations like ACF who are working to protect our precious threatened species, every day.
Visit the Australian government website for the latest information about H5N1