Jean hoped bird flu wouldn’t come to Australia. Then it arrived - and she saw a tern ‘trembling and swaying’
Volunteers in South Australia are monitoring local bird populations for signs of H5 bird flu following the disease's arrival in the region. The initiative aims to track the spread of the virus and mitigate its impact on native wildlife.
Why it matters
The arrival of bird flu in Australia threatens biodiversity and highlights the growing global challenge of managing zoonotic disease outbreaks.
Jean Turner and David Potter, members of the South Australia Bird Observers Network. Photograph: Jean Turner Jean Turner and David Potter, members of the South Australia Bird Observers Network. Photograph: Jean Turner Bird flu Jean hoped bird flu wouldn’t come to Australia. Then it arrived – and she saw a tern ‘trembling and swaying’ Volunteers are on the lookout for sick birds as outbreak shatters ‘fairytale belief’ that disease would not reach Australia
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Kat Wong Mon 10 Aug 2026 11.00 EDT Last modified on Mon 10 Aug 2026 20.24 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google Bird enthusiast Jean Turner hoped avian flu would never arrive at her doorstep.
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