Bird flu has devastated wildlife around the world. What Australian birds are most at risk?

It’s uncertain how native populations might be affected by the deadly H5 strain but seagulls, pelicans and black swans are among those species that have experts worried

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The deadly H5 bird flu that has devastated wildlife populations globally since 2021 is spreading across Australia.

The federal government announced the first vaccination plans for captive native bird species last week and the Victorian government has moved to vaccinate wild little penguins after the first detections in terns on Phillip Island.

On Saturday, the state government https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/15/little-penguin-found-dead-with-h5-bird-flu-on-victorias-phillip-island">announced the death of a little penguin on the island, the first confirmed case of H5 bird flu in the species.