For Wild Animals, the Bird Flu Disaster Is Already Here

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/13/science/bird-flu-h5n1-wildlife.html

By Emily Anthes

A new strain of bird flu, H5N1, is devastating wild bird populations globally, with alarming consequences. First spotted in 2020, the virus has spread rapidly, killing tens of thousands of seabirds, gulls, and raptors, and threatening species already struggling with climate change and habitat loss. From bald eagles in the U.S. to northern gannets in Canada and pelicans in Peru, the virus’s impact is unprecedented, wiping out colonies and leaving entire populations vulnerable to future crises. Despite some signs of immunity among survivors, experts warn that recovery for slow-reproducing species could take decades.

Vaccination efforts, like those for the critically endangered California condor, highlight the dire situation but also the limits of intervention. While scientists race to study the virus’s behaviour and its long-term effects, it’s clear that this outbreak marks one of the gravest threats to wild birds in recent history.