Updated December 12, 2022
The health and safety of COASST surveyors on the beach is always our primary concern – we’ve summarized best practices for dead bird handling on this page, and will continue to keep that page updated with CDC recommendations and case reports in the US over the coming months.
This post will track reports of Avian Influenza in wild birds around the world, through news reports. You can read a brief overview of the evolving situation here, here, or here.
US
Avian flu outbreak kills 700 waterfowl around Skagit Bay: MyNorthwest, December 9
Wild Birds in North America Are Dying Like Never Before: The Atlantic, October 1
‘We’re nervous.’ Deadly bird flu may be in North America to stay: Science.org, August 23
Nome bird contracts Avian Influenza: KNOM, August 8
Two cases of suspected avian flu found in Nunavut: Nunatsiaq News, August 5
Avian Influenza virus detected in wild birds in Butte & Glenn counties: ABC, July 15
Bird flu cripples US Caspian Tern colonies: Bird Guides, July 17
Bird Flu Confirmed in Rhode Island: GoLocal, July 13
Bird flu kills nearly 1,500 threatened Caspian terns on Lake Michigan islands: WKAR Public Media, June 29
Hundreds of Dead Birds Wash Up on Martha’s Vineyard: Officials Fear Bird Flu: NBC Boston, June 29
Avian influenza cases have doubled statewide, but no reports from the North Slope yet: The Arctic Sounder, June 23
Regional Birds Sent To Lab To Be Tested For Avian Flu: Nome Nugget, June 23
UK
The UK’s largest avian flu outbreak has left millions of birds dead – and scientists extremely concerned: National Geographic, September 27
Avian flu having ‘devastating’ impact on seabirds in Cornwall: BBC, September 26
Bird flu probe call in Dorset as ‘dozens’ of seabirds die: BBC, September 13
Experts fear 25% of Alderney gannet colony might have bird flu: BBC, August 26
Dead birds found off Cornwall in avian flu fears: BBC News, August 24
Farne Islands and Coquet Island ‘may take years to recover’ from avian flu: BBC News, August 18
Warning issued as bird flu is confirmed in dead kittiwakes at popular South Tyneside beach: Chronicle Live, August 17
Bird flu outbreak on Farne Islands ‘could kill up to 50,000 birds’: Independent, August 11
Birdwatch: colonies hit by avian flu on Farne Islands sound warning: The Guardian, August 10.
RSPB confirm bird flu on Grassholm Island after spate of gannet deaths: itvNews, August 5
Bird flu restrictions imposed on Calf of Man over dead seabirds: BBC, July 28
Farne Islands avian flu outbreak kills thousands of birds in ‘unprecedented wildlife tragedy’: The Telegraph, July 25
“The Scale Is Hard to Grasp”: The Avian Flu Is a Catastrophe for Seabirds: Mother Jones, July 23
Bird flu confirmed in seabirds found dead on Isle of Man coast: BBC, July 22
Podcast ‘Falling from the sky in distress’: the deadly bird flu outbreak sweeping the world: The Guardian, July 19
DAERA confirms further positive test results for Avian Influenza in wild seabirds: DAERA notice, July 11
‘Never seen anything like it’: Avian flu could halve world’s largest gannet colony’s population: itvNEWS, July 4
Country diary: Avian flu is devastating the seabirds of the Northern Isles: The Guardian, June 25
St Kilda bird flu deaths spark extinction fears for great skua: BBC, June 22
Avian influenza: Northern gannets on Bass Rock hit by bird flu: The Herald, June 16
Avian flu has jumped from chickens to wild birds and is spreading fast: The Conversation, June 14
Bird flu continuing to circulate in UK seabirds, RSPB warns: Farming UK, June 11
Hundreds of seabirds wash up on Scots shores as avian flu spreads: The Scottish Sun, June 7
Bird flu outbreak kills seabirds in UK with warning of ‘rapid and devastating’ spread of new strain: iNews, June 2
Thousands of birds dying as avian flu runs riot among seabird colonies: Shetland News, May 31
Hundreds of dead birds washed up on Solway Coast amid avian flu: BBC, February 6
Canada
Low risk of Nunavut birds getting avian influenza despite North American outbreak: Nunavut News, October 13
To hunt or not to hunt: Avian flu leads to duck hunters’ dilemma: CBC, September 11
Hundreds of dead gulls found as ‘unprecedented’ avian flu outbreak continues in Nova Scotia: CBC, September 10
Nunavut confirms first case of avian influenza; says wild bird infected: Coast Reporter, September 1
3 cases of avian flu now suspected in Nunavut: CBC, August 19
Preliminary test results show avian influenza in seabird populations in Newfoundland: Saltwire, July 28
Avian flu responsible for thousands of dead birds in Newfoundland, suggest preliminary tests: CBC, July 22
Marine birds in N.L. are still dying, this time possibly because of avian flu: CBC, July 19
Highly pathogenic avian influenza zones: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, updated regularly
Thousands of Gulf of St. Lawrence seabirds likely dead of avian flu: CBC, June 14
Hundreds of birds dead or dying of avian flu land on Cape Breton shores: CBC, June 6
Strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza kills thousands of birds in Quebec: CBC, June 1
Hundreds of snow geese expected to have been killed by avian flu in Saskatchewan: CBC, May 20
International: Other
Peru reports first severe bird-flu outbreak: Reuters, November 18
More penguins dying from avian flu at Cape Town’s Boulders beach colony: WHBL, Oct 1
Bird flu endangers penguin colony in South Africa: media: Global Times: September 18
Avian flu outbreak detected among Cape Town’s penguin colony at Boulders: Reuters, September 16
Bird flu: More cases discovered along north coast: BBC, July 12
Avian flu confirmed in dead birds found on Rathlin Island: BBC, July 9
More than 20 wild birds at Hualien Creek estuary died abnormally and were sent for examination to confirm H5N1 infection: UDN, May 28 (google translate required to read!)
5,000 dead cranes counted at Hula Lake reserve amidst bird flu outbreak: Times of Israel, December 26, 2021.