A federal government risk assessment released on Tuesday evaluated over 2,000 native Australian species to determine their vulnerability to H5N1 bird flu. The analysis, conducted with Charles Darwin University and BirdLife Australia, found that nearly one in five species face extreme, very high, or high risk from the virus.
Five bird species are rated at extreme risk, meaning they are unlikely to survive where the virus occurs. These include the endangered Christmas Island frigatebird and the critically endangered herald petrel, which breeds only on Raine Island in the Great Barrier Reef region. Additionally, more than 80 species already classified as endangered or critically endangered are considered at least at high risk, raising concerns they will move closer to extinction. Among mammals, Australia’s three resident seal species—the Australian fur seal, New Zealand fur seal, and Australian sea lion—are all assessed as very high risk. The Tasmanian devil and eastern quoll represent the land mammals facing the greatest threats.
Experts have expressed concern about the scale of potential impacts. A leading conservation scientist stated the analysis reveals a bleaker picture than previously anticipated, with substantial impacts expected across bird and mammal diversity. Some conservation groups have criticized the government’s response, calling for increased funding and arguing that action should have commenced earlier. The government has committed $113 million to bird flu preparedness, including $47 million specifically to accelerate protective measures for threatened species and biodiversity.
The H5N1 virus has caused widespread mortality globally since spreading from Europe in 2021. Australia remained unaffected until six weeks ago, when infected seabirds were discovered in Western Australia and South Australia. The virus has since been confirmed in more than 100 individual birds across multiple states, with surveillance detecting the first mass mortality event in South Australia.
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