Hundreds of birds have died from avian flu in Australia. What happens next?
Australia is experiencing a surge in H5N1 bird flu cases, leading to mass mortality events among wildlife such as crested terns. Ecologists are struggling to study these events, which are expected to become more frequent due to climate extremes.
Why it matters
Mass death events disrupt ecosystems and biodiversity, and their increasing frequency serves as a critical indicator of environmental instability.
Greater crested terns have been one of the species most severely affected by bird flu so far in Australia. ( ABC News: Carl Saville )
Link copied Share Share article In a matter of weeks, Australia has moved from its first mainland H5N1 bird flu detections to hundreds of confirmed cases and several wildlife mass mortality events from the disease.
A series of deaths off South Australia, including more than 1,000 terns , marked an important shift in Australia's encounter with H5N1 bird flu.
Federal authorities warn they will not be the last, although it is far too early to know what exactly comes next.
But what we do know is that these events are an increasing challenge for ecologists and wildlife managers.
Warning: This story contains images that some readers may find distressing.
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