More than 150 of Australia\u2019s native and unique bird species have been assessed as being at \u201cvery high risk\u201d of extinction or major decline if they catch the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, with Western Australia\u2019s celebrated black swans among the most susceptible.<\/p>\n
The federal government analysis of Australia\u2019s 800 different birds and 350 mammals reflects the high level of concern among experts about the arrival of the H5N1 strain, which has killed millions of birds and mammals around the world.<\/p>\n
Australia was the only continent free of the contagious strain until tests confirmed a brown skua and a giant petrel \u2013 found sick a few kilometres from each other on the Western Australian coastline near Esperance \u2013 both had the strain.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, WA authorities said no new cases had been found and there was no evidence the virus had spread into other wild populations.<\/p>\n
State and federal governments have been preparing for the likely arrival of the disease for several years, including the development of 100 response plans for species and habitats and a risk analysis for Australian species.<\/p>\n
A federal environment department spokesperson said: \u201cMany of our birds and mammals are not found anywhere else in the world, making the impacts of H5 bird flu difficult to predict.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email<\/a><\/p>\n There were more than 150 bird species unique to Australia \u201cconsidered at very high risk\u201d under the risk analysis, the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n They included the red goshawk, fairy tern, plains-wanderer, shy albatross, black swan and western hooded plover.<\/p>\n Migratory species like the short-tailed shearwater \u2013 famed for its 15,000km migration from the Arctic Circle to Australia<\/a> \u2013 were also at very high risk.<\/p>\n At a high risk were the swift parrot and orange-bellied parrot, both critically endangered in Australia.<\/p>\n Chris Purnell, the wetland and migratory shorebird program manager at BirdLife Australia, advised on the analysis and said it had considered both the risk of extinction at a species level or at a regional population level.<\/p>\n \u201cFor these endemic birds, there\u2019s no avenue for repopulation from outside Australia. If they are gone, then they are gone.\u201d<\/p>\n