SITUATION UPDATE: 23 July 2026
New Zealand has 2 confirmed detections of H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza (H5 bird flu).
There have been no further detections of H5 bird flu since 17 July 2026. There is no evidence of any mass mortality in wildlife. There has been no detection in poultry.
Chicken and eggs remain safe to eat and bird flu is a very low risk to human health.
New Zealand is well prepared to respond quickly to H5 bird flu.
Response and surveillance work continues to step up in close coordination with industry partners and other agencies.
The Department of Conservation will continue its vaccination programme for 300 core breeding birds from 5 of our most endangered birds – kākāpō, takahē, tūturuatu/shore plover, kakī/black stilt, and kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet.
Be alert and use good habits to limit the impact of bird flu
Keep your distance. Stay away from sick or dead wildlife. Keep pets away too.
Keep clean. Wash your hands and clean your gear after being outdoors.
Know when to report. 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 or online at report.mpi.govt.nz
If you report online, select the ‘dead or dying wild birds’ option from the dropdown list and then the type of bird you have found. Don’t handle or move the birds.
Find out more about how you can limit the impact of bird flu in New Zealand
On this page
How is New Zealand responding to this detection?
New Zealanders are being asked to be alert after 2 confirmed detections of H5 bird flu in wild birds.
The virus has been confirmed in a kāhu, swamp harrier hawk, and a brown skua seabird in the Wellington region.
There is no evidence of any mass mortality in wildlife. There has been no detection in poultry.
Chicken and eggs remain safe to eat.
MPI has stepped up its work with our industry partners to support poultry and egg farmers, including extra testing and checking of birds, more one-on-one support for farmers, and the establishment of a technical advisory group of bird scientists to inform our work.
The finds show our continuous surveillance programme is working as it should.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) continues its vaccination programme for 300 core breeding birds from 5 of our most endangered birds – kākāpō, takahē, tūturuatu/shore plover, kakī/black stilt, and kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet.
DOC on alert after H5 bird flu detection – DOC
MPI is continuing its existing wider surveillance programme and is working closely with industry, veterinarians, and wildlife carers.
Over the past 12 months, through surveillance and monitoring activities, more than 2,500 wild birds and 12,500 commercial poultry were tested.
How MPI is handling public reports and laboratory testing
The focus is on tracking how H5 bird flu is moving around New Zealand. This information will help protect our poultry industry and support DOC's work to safeguard native wildlife.
Ongoing surveillance and testing will help build a clearer picture of where the disease is and how it is spreading. This will allow egg and chicken producers across the country to make informed decisions about the biosecurity measures that best protect their flocks while keeping their businesses operating.
MPI assesses reports using internationally recognised H5 bird flu risk criteria. Priority is given to reports involving:
- multiple sick or dead birds
- higher-risk species, such as seabirds and waterfowl
- birds that gather in large groups
- locations where the risk of spread is higher.
Experience overseas shows this targeted approach provides a faster and more accurate understanding of H5 bird flu spread than investigating isolated bird deaths or species that are less likely to pose an immediate risk.
Reporting bird flu
If you see three or more sick or dead wild birds in a group, avoid contact, record what you see and report it to the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66 from anywhere in New Zealand. You can also report online.
If you report online, select the ‘dead or dying wild birds’ option from the dropdown list and then the type of bird you have found.
Do not handle or move the birds.
Provide as much detail as you can, including:
- common name or species of sick or dead bird if known
- how many are sick or freshly dead, and the total number of birds present
- a GPS reading or other precise location information
- photographs and videos of sick and dead birds
- MPI will contact notifiers if more information is required.
How to report suspected bird flu – Fact sheet [PDF, 235 KB]
What is bird flu?
Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects birds. However, it can also spread to mammals – including people.
There are 2 main types of avian influenza:
- high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), which can cause severe signs and high death rates in birds. There are a number of strains including H5, H7, and H9.
- low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI), which typically causes few or no signs in birds but can possibly mutate to HPAI.
LPAI is present in wild birds in New Zealand. We have an active surveillance programme for LPAI and test around 2,000 samples from wild birds each year. LPAI causes few or no signs of illness in wild birds. However, when a low pathogenicity strain of avian influenza is introduced to chickens, it can mutate into a high pathogenicity strain.
Strains of HPAI have circulated globally for years. Many countries have seasonal outbreaks in poultry every year.
New Zealand has been monitoring the spread of HPAI globally for the past 20 years. Biosecurity New Zealand and our partners have surveillance programmes in place to detect the arrival of HPAI and other exotic diseases.
Video – Learn more about bird flu (2.07)
This animated video explains how bird flu is spreading, symptoms to look out for, and biosecurity measures that people can take to be ready.
transcript show/hide
[This video uses animated graphics to illustrate the words. The first scene shows four wobbly, sick-looking birds (a gull, goose, gannet and chicken) with spiky spheres representing virus particles floating in the air.]
Narrator: “Bird flu is a serious virus that spreads easily between birds.”
Narrator: “The type of bird flu spreading overseas – HPAI H5N1 – can infect many kinds of birds and travel long distances.
[A globe-shaped world map shows virus particles over the upper part of the world. The words ‘HPAI H5N1’ appear on screen when the narrator says these words.]
Narrator: “It’s already killed millions of birds overseas, including wild birds, poultry, and pet birds.”
[The words ‘Bird flu has killed millions of birds overseas’ appear on screen, as well as the words ‘Wild birds’, ‘Poultry’, ‘Pet birds’ with circular portraits of birds above these words – a gannet, chicken and parrot are represented respectively. The circles expand slightly as each bird category is mentioned.]
Narrator: Here’s what to look out for – and how to be ready, just in case.
[A checklist pops up on screen, with the heading ‘What to look for’.]
[The words ‘How the virus spreads’ appear on screen in an orange text box, accompanied by music.]
Narrator: “Infected birds shed the virus in their saliva, nasal secretions and faeces.”
[A wobbly gull is surrounded by virus particles. The words ‘saliva’, ‘nasal secretions’ and ‘faeces’ appear on screen as these words are said, with dotted lines pointing to the relevant body part.]
Narrator: “Just one bird’s droppings can carry enough virus to infect thousands of others.”
[Screen zooms out to numerous identical gulls. The first gull’s dropping has an arrow pointing to it with the text ‘One dropping can infect thousands’.]
Narrator: “Once it’s in a flock, it can spread fast – sometimes in just a few days.”
[Six gulls surrounded by virus particles shown on screen. Two are lying upside down with their legs in the air and crosses for eyes to show they are dead.]
Narrator: “People can also spread the virus without knowing it – on their shoes, clothes, or shared gear.”
[A person is shown from the neck down, wearing a white t-shirt, black shorts and orange gumboots, holding a shovel upright. The words ‘shoes’, ‘clothes’ and ‘shared gear’ appear on screen as they are spoken, with black dotted lines pointing to each item, surrounded by virus particles.]
Narrator: “That’s why it’s important to clean up properly before and after handling birds.”
[Split screen depicting hand washing on the left and scrubbing the bottom of boots on the right.]
[The words ‘Impact on wild birds’ appear on screen in an orange text box, accompanied by music.]
Narrator: “We’re not sure how bird flu would affect our native birds.”
[Leafy foliage in foreground, a kiwi is in the bottom middle of the screen and a ruru (morepork) is on a branch, top right.]
Narrator: “But birds that nest in large groups – like gulls, gannets, and terns – could be most at risk.”
[Slide transition to a lineup of three birds – a gull, a gannet and a tern – with some green foliage in the foreground. The words ‘Birds that nest in large groups could be most at risk’ appear at the top. The words ‘Gulls’, ‘Gannets’ and ‘Terns’ appear under each image as they are named.]
[The words ‘Signs in birds’ appear on screen in an orange text box, accompanied by music.]
Narrator: “One of the first signs is several birds dying suddenly, with no clear reason.”
[Transition to three gulls surrounded by virus particles. The gull in the middle looks sick and has its head down. The gulls on either side of it are upside-down with their legs in the air and crosses for eyes to show they are dead. The words ‘Several birds dying suddenly’ appear at the top.]
Narrator: “Other signs – especially in ducks and geese – include being sleepy, wobbly, or unable to fly.”
[Transition to wobbly goose surrounded by virus particles. A line points to its head with the word ‘Sleepy’, then a line points to the front of its body with the word ‘Wobbly’ and then a line with the word ‘Unable to fly’ points to its wing as the narrator says these words.]
[The words ‘Report it’ appear on screen in an orange text box, accompanied by music.]
Narrator: “If you see three or more sick or dead wild birds together, call the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66. Don’t touch or move the birds.”
[Two sick looking gulls and one upside-down dead gull surrounded by virus particles are on screen. There is a sign on the right depicting a hand with a diagonal line through it and the words ‘Don’t touch!’. The words ‘If you see three or more sick or dead wild birds together’ appear on screen towards the bottom. When the 0800 number is mentioned the words ‘Call 0800 80 99 66 appear on screen in an orange text box.]
Narrator: “If you keep poultry and notice signs of bird flu in several birds, talk to your vet first. They’ll help rule out other more common illnesses and tell you what to do next.”
[Slide transition to three wobbly chickens surrounded by virus particles. The white one in the middle is sitting on a nest. The words ‘If you keep poultry and notice signs of bird flu in several birds’ appear on screen. When the narrator says ‘Talk to your vet’ this text pops up on screen in an orange text box.]
Narrator: “Want to know more about bird flu signs and how to report them? Visit the Ministry for Primary Industries’ website www.mpi.govt.nz/bird-flu.”
[Orange bird flu branding – light orange background with a darker orange feather with the tagline ‘Bird Flu Be Ready’ – comes up on screen with the bird flu URL www.mpi.govt.nz/bird-flu and MPI and New Zealand Government logos.]
[Video ends. End of transcript.]
Global spread of H5 bird flu
In 2020, H5 bird flu (H5N1 avian influenza clade 2.3.4.4b) emerged in the northern hemisphere. It established in wild birds and spread to the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, and other regions.
In 2023, it was detected in the southern hemisphere. Since then, it has spread through South America to the sub-Antarctic islands and the Antarctic peninsula.
In June 2026, Australia confirmed its first detection of H5 bird flu in an ocean-going sea bird in Western Australia.
Find out more about H5 bird flu detection in Australia
Bird flu (avian influenza) – Australian Government
Why H5 bird flu is of concern
H5 bird flu can infect a much broader range of wild birds and spread across a larger geographical range than previous strains.
It can cause high numbers of deaths in poultry (chickens and turkeys), waterfowl (ducks, geese and swans), shorebirds (godwits, stilts and plovers), and seabirds (gulls and terns).
It has spilled over to more than 60 species of mammal, including marine mammals, companion animals, and livestock.
This strain of bird flu can spread by direct contact between infected and healthy birds, or through contamination of equipment and materials, including water and feed.
Risks to humans and animals
The risk to human health is low. It remains rare for humans to be infected with H5 bird flu. The disease is generally only found in people who have had a lot of close contact with infected birds or other infected animals.
H5 bird flu is very unlikely to transmit from human to human. However, viruses can change over time, so it’s important that we remain vigilant.
Overseas, some mammals, including dairy cattle in the United States, have been infected after contact with infected birds. With supportive care, infected cattle generally recover in 2 to 3 weeks.
In New Zealand, the risk of transmission from birds to cattle or other livestock is low. One reason for this is that our farming practices are very different from the US. However, we encourage all farmers to practice good on-farm biosecurity.
In rare cases, cats and dogs can get sick if they eat or interact with infected animals. To help protect your pets from bird flu:
- prevent wild birds from accessing your pet’s food and water
- don’t let pets eat or touch sick or dead animals
- keep dogs on a leash, especially near wild birds
- keep cats indoors
If your pet gets sick after interacting with wild birds, keep them away from children and other animals and contact your vet.
Commercial poultry flocks and avian influenza
Domestic poultry and birds and avian influenza
Avian influenza, food safety, and human health
Dairy and other livestock that may be affected by avian influenza
Signs of bird flu
The most obvious sign of bird flu is sudden death in several birds. Other signs in birds can include:
- weakness and trembling
- paralysis
- breathing difficulties
- lack of coordination
- blindness
- diarrhoea.
Poultry may show more severe signs than wild birds, including lethargy, loss of appetite, droopy head, darkened or swollen comb/wattle, panting, nasal discharge, unusual drop in egg production, and bleeding disorders.