Suburbs that were once alive with one of Australia’s most iconic sounds are now falling silent as a mystery illness continues to ravage wildlife in the country’s west. It’s a disturbing detail that Alex, who has lived in the Perth’s Mosman Park for years, can’t help but now notice during her daily walks.
Not long after leaving her house for a stroll on Saturday, the resident told Yahoo News Australia she was surprised to see a magpie lying lifeless on the ground.
Given it “looked stunned”, she assumed it had been the victim of a rogue ball from the neighbouring golf course.
“It wasn’t bloody in any way, and it was a relatively healthy looking bird otherwise,” Alex explained.
“So I thought not much more of it and I went from a walk. Then on the way back, I noticed another one in a similar location. And I was like, oh, okay, that’s a bit weird.”
Confused, she decided to explore the surrounding area. “That’s when I found more and more and more,” Alex said.
Over the next few days, she discovered a total of 10 dead magpies and two that were still clinging to life that she promptly rushed to a nearby wildlife centre. One of them has since died.
“I found one across the road on my verge, underneath the shrub and I thought oh my god, we’ve got a big problem,” she told Yahoo, adding the native birds are “dropping like flies”.
In a span of just days, Alex found several dead birds near her home. And rushed another two that were clinging to life to a local wildlife centre. Source: Supplied
Aussie suburbs fall ‘silent’ as magpies disappear
Following her disturbing discovery, Alex said she’s now become very aware that along with the birds’ sudden deaths, their melodies have also vanished.
“What’s more worrying is now I’m noticing the silence,” she said, adding there are “way less maggies in the area”.
“Normally, they’re wobbling away and doing their thing, foraging and so forth but this morning I only saw five or six, if I was lucky to see that many,” she told Yahoo on Tuesday, noting that the mysterious illness appears to be wiping out “entire families”.
“We have a lot of large gum trees in our area so it’s not uncommon to see families of maggies here, there and everywhere. But now I’m noticing they’re just not there.”
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Wildlife organisations inundated with sick magpies
Alex’s isn’t the only suburb suffering such a heartbreaking loss of wildlife.
WA Wildlife said organisations across the state are once again being inundated with magpies affected by Magpie Paralysis Syndrome.
At the WA Wildlife Hospital alone, there are currently more than 65 birds in care, the vast majority of which are suffering from the mysterious neurological condition.
Dean Huxley, Chief Executive Officer at WA Wildlife, told Yahoo News early indicators suggest that 2025 saw hundreds of cases of Magpie Paralysis Syndrome.
“We have admitted 962 magpies in 2025, and a large percentage of these cases have been related to Magpie Paralysis Syndrome,” he said, adding that cases are expected to rise.
Records suggest that there has been year-on-year growth in the mysterious illness since 2018, with the past two years being the worst.
The emotional toll on the team has been “significant”, Huxley said, adding it has been an “all-consuming” effort to raise funds to keep operations running.
He has called on federal and state governments to do more to allocate funding to wildlife rehabilitation.
“The core issue is that state and federal governments must begin allocating funding to wildlife rehabilitation, because the industry is now on the verge of collapse.
“Volunteers and rehabilitators have reached a breaking point after years of feeling undervalued and the native animals we care for continue to be treated as though they are less important than dogs and cats.
“Yet, state and federal governments promote our native wildlife to support tourism.”
Earlier this week, Yahoo News spoke to a Queensland woman who has found 33 dead magpies in her yard since mid-December. The cause remains a mystery. Source: Supplied
Cause of mysterious paralysis illness still unknown
A similar influx of magpies suffering from paralysis occurred last spring and summer, prompting researchers to collaborate to determine its cause, which is still unknown.
Common symptoms in the birds can include weakness and the inability to stand or co-ordinate movements. In severe cases, the birds may be unable to lift their heads or breathe.
Similar symptoms have appeared on magpies in the past, spanning back to 2018, however, the increased amount of birds affected has raised the alarm for researchers.
Murdoch University is working together with wildlife centres and organisations, including Wildlife Health Australia, to gather information about the affected birds, such as the geographic range, age and species, along with conducting tests to determine a diagnosis.
What to do if you find an affected bird:
For live magpies showing neurological symptoms, call the Wildcare Helpline on (08) 9474 9055 or take the bird to a wildlife hospital or rehabilitator.
If five or more sick or dead birds are found in one area, report this to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
Please do not collect deceased birds unless specifically requested — structured sampling is required.
If you’d like to contribute to WA Wildlife’s life-saving efforts, click here.
With NCA NewsWire
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