Many Nannas join bird watching tours to glimpse elusive birds and/or record their birds in their garden.
The news about the spread of bird flu is hard to bear, even though we knew it would eventually reach our shores. Being as informed as we can be is important now and spreading the word about reducing the risks and how we can help is a priority for Nannas.
Healthy habitats and strong populations give our native birds the best chance to withstand the impacts of bird flu. This means there are things we can do to help reduce the risks to birds, other wildlife and humans, for example:
- take part in habitat restoration activities to improve local habitats — revegetating, weeding,
- remove rubbish from local natural areas,
- participate in bird surveys,
- contribute to citizen science projects,
- do our Action of the Week.
BirdLife Australia has five things you can do -see link below. They have joined the Invasive Species Council to advocate for the Federal Government to allocate an additional $200 million over the next two years to strengthen wildlife resilience and to protect coastal and beach habitats.
Government targets vulnerable species in captivity for H5N1 bird flu vaccines. The exact species to be targeted for vaccination will be up to each state or territory jurisdiction. Wild birds are not being prioritised because two vaccine doses are required. (ABC News)
Frequently Asked Questions (Birdlife Australia)
5 things you can do (Birdlife Australia)
H5 avian influenza (bird flu) (Australian Government)