It looks like the worst has finally happened. The deadly strain of H1N5 bird flu has arrived in Australasia, with a migratory brown skua in Western Australia testing positive (it’s since died). If this bird flu establishes in Australia, it is expected to then make the jump across the Tasman to NZ. This is the bird flu strain that has caused mass die-offs of many bird and marine mammal species as it’s spread across the world. The second link below is the fact sheet from NZ Ministry for Primary Industries on what we should be doing. The first step is to be vigilant and keep a look out for sick and dead birds and seals. In preparation for the arrival of H5N1, the Department of Conservation has been immunising some of our most threatened birds, like kakapō. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jun/19/australia-bird-flu-deadly-h5n1-first-suspected-case-wa https://www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity-in-nz/dont-let-bird-flu-take-flight #BirdFlu #H5N1 #Australia #NZ #biosecurity