Australia Finds First Native Bird with H5 Bird Flu

Bird flu is a problem.

It was found on Friday, July 10, 2026, at 12:23 pm.

A greater crested tern in Australia has H5 bird flu.

This is a short summary.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins says a lab test found H5 bird flu in a greater crested tern.

This is the first time H5 has been found in an Australian seabird.

What happens next?

The minister is investigating how the bird got infected.

H5 bird flu was found in a native Australian bird for the first time.

The government is concerned because previous cases were in migratory birds.

Minister Julie Collins said a lab test confirmed H5 in a greater crested tern in South Australia.

There are now 12 cases of H5 bird flu in Australia.

Julie Collins says more work is being done.

There is no sign of many animals dying or the flu spreading to farms.

The minister says authorities are watching the area where the bird was found.

They want to know if the tern got the flu from migratory birds.

The tern lives near migratory birds that had the flu.

This is a worrying development, but it's not a surprise.

Here are the confirmed bird flu cases.

This information was updated on July 10.

One case is presumed positive because the bird's body had decayed.

A person found the greater crested tern and reported it.

The bird was sent to a lab, which found H5 bird flu.

No other dead birds were found near the tern.

A fur seal tested negative for H5N1.

The seal was found on the Central Coast of New South Wales.

The department is still watching wildlife in the area.

Learn more about bird flu.

Topic: Explainer

Topic: Avian Influenza

Topic: Birds

Two previous cases were found on Yorke Peninsula and Kangaroo Island.

The sea lion population on Kangaroo Island might be at risk.

Work has been done to protect the sea lions.

The risk to sea lions is still the same.

Surveillance is working well.

The spread of the flu from migratory to native birds is a concern.

We don't know how the bird got the flu, but we can make some guesses.

Lab tests confirmed H5 in a greater crested tern in South Australia.

Migratory birds from Antarctica brought the flu to Australia.

The surveillance of sick or dead birds is working.

This strain of bird flu is very bad.

It spreads easily from bird to bird, like the flu in humans.

The tern might have gotten sick from migratory birds.

Greater crested terns breed on islands and live along the coast.

They also go to coastal lakes and the Coorong.

It's devastating that the flu is now in Australia.

There are no signs on beaches about what to do with sick birds.

We still don't have any signs on our beaches.

The mayor of Robe says we should keep things in perspective.

It's only one bird so far.

Everyone is worried it will spread.

We hope it's just one case and it will stop.

The next few weeks will be important for learning about the flu.

We need to learn how the flu is spreading to other animals.

The public should keep reporting sick or dead birds.

If you see a sick or dead bird, report it.

More news from the ABC.

Friday, July 10, 2026, at 12:23 pm.

Friday, July 10, 2026, at 6:56 pm.

See more ABC news.

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