By Barbara Heggen
Anyone who loves birds and wildlife will be devastated by the news that the H5 bird flu has reached mainland Australian shores.
So far H5 bird flu has killed millions of wild birds and mammals globally including thousands of southern elephant seal pups on Heard Island. At particular risk in Australia are the black swan, Australian pelican, and Australasian gannet as well as quolls, Tasmanian devils, fur seals, sea lions and dolphins.
The virus is carried and spread by migratory birds which means Hobsons Bay is particularly vulnerable. Here in the West we are home to the internationally protected Cheetham Wetlands – part of the Point Cook Coastal Park – which provide increasingly rare and valuable feeding grounds for thousands of migratory birds.
There’s not much authorities can do to stop the spread of the virus once it’s arrived but there are some steps that we can all take to help local bird colonies.
The best thing we can do is create or improve bird habitats in our gardens and neighbourhoods.
Everyday in the West a green space is demolished (see pg 4) to make way for development or townhouses, and while we definitely need more houses and infrastructure, demolishers unfortunately take every tree, bush, and blade of grass with them. Bird colonies reliant on these patches of green are left homeless and vulnerable to disease.
Providing safe bird habitats in urban areas is a vital strategy against bird flu as it helps give native species stronger immune systems and the best possible chance of withstanding an outbreak.
BirdLife Australia is a wonderful resource for learning how to create bird habitats in your garden and it’s also launched a campaign to raise funds for its efforts to mitigate the impacts of bird flu.
And if you see sick or dead birds, especially multiple cases, the advice at this stage is, record the site, take a photograph, don’t handle them and either call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 or go online at forms.bio.vic.gov.au/wildlife-influenza-investigation
