RSPB shares winter avian flu fears
RSPB is 'increasingly concerned' for waterfowl this winter.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has warned of a ‘worrying’ winter ahead, as cases of avian influenza increase among many bird species.
It follows a significant rise in cases of avian influenza among waterfowl, including the barnacle geese at RSPB Mersehead.
The current global outbreak is caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which originated in Asia in 1996. From 2020 the charity has seen an increasing number of species and countries affected.
Since 2021 such outbreaks have been catastrophic for several seabirds, resulting in population declines for many species.
While the virus’ circulation this summer has not caused as much damage as previous years, the RSPB still reports mass mortalities in UK seabird colonies. This includes a worrying impact on herring gulls, which are already red-listed.
During October 2025, the RSPB saw a huge rise in avian flu cases for waterfowl, prompting Defra to increase the flu risk level for wild birds to ‘very high’. Cases continued to rise in November.
Last winter saw cases of avian flu in waterfowl, gulls, birds of prey and the poultry industry. With winter considered a very high-risk period for transmission between birds, RSPB fears this year could be even worse.
While it is usually seabirds that are affected the most, the organisation says it is ‘increasingly concerned’ about the impact on birds of prey and waterfowl.
There are currently outbreaks among whooper swans and consistently high cases among mute swans. There is also evidence of breeding issues in white-tailed eagles and golden eagles, and HPAI could be linked with declines in peregrine falcons and buzzards.
RSPB says its teams are equipped with vital equipment to handle outbreaks, and are monitoring birds closely.
It says it is also continuing to push all four UK governments to strengthen avian flu response plans. This includes demands for action to reduce the risks of outbreaks and limit the impact on wild birds.
The RSPB says action is ‘essential’ to help struggling wild bird populations recover and become resilient to disease threats.
It is recommended that humans and animals do not touch visibly sick or dead birds. Instead dead birds should be reported to Defra, or DAERA in Northern Ireland.
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