The news we didn’t want to hear came through late this afternoon, 15 July 2026.
“Seabird found on Wellington beach tests positive for H5 bird flu”
Here is the RNZ news item including the press briefing video:
The West Coast Penguin Trust is prepared, DOC is ready, MPI is ready – but every person in New Zealand needs to understand what this means and what they can do to help.
The Ministry for Primary Industries, MPI, with its biosecurity role, is leading this work.
Their resources are on their website here: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity-in-nz/dont-let-bird-flu-take-flight
The resources include this introductory video.
And this one pager – Bird Flu Be Ready: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/64557-How-to-report-suspected-bird-flu
Key rules from MPI, are below.
What to do if you find sick or dead birds
When out and about, especially on beaches, keep an eye out for wild birds showing signs of bird flu.
The most obvious sign of HPAI is sudden death in several wild birds. Other signs can include weakness, tremors, paralysis, difficulty breathing, lack of co-ordination, blindness, trembling, and diarrhoea.
If you see 3 or more sick or dead wild birds in a group, report it immediately to the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66 so we can investigate the cause.
Added by DOC – OR report it if you see a single sick or dead high-risk seabird. These include skua, giant or cape petrels, and albatross, which are rarely seen on the Coast, and white-fronted tern, which nest on rock stacks and in river estuaries.
Do not touch or collect sick wildlife – birds or seals.
Keep pets away from wildlife as the disease can spread to other animals.
Avoid disturbing wildife congregating on shorelines.
Clean your shoes and gear before and after visiting beaches, parks, reserves, or farms, to stop the disease from spreading.
When reporting sick or dead birds, provide as much detail as you can, including:
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- a GPS reading or other precise location information
- photographs and videos of sick and dead birds
- species name and estimate of the numbers affected
- how many are sick or freshly dead, and the total number of birds present.
MPI will note the details and one of our specialist biosecurity investigators will assess the information and contact you.
Sick birds can recover from this disease, so leave sick birds alone, and reduce stress or disturbance around them.
It’s important to note that recent reports including this skua have been isolated incidents, just single birds. So it’s important to be aware of unusual bird behaviour.
Do not hesitate to ring the MPI hotline if you have any concerns.
Thank you for doing your bit.
Information we provided a couple of years ago:
