600 birds found dead on Brownsea Island following outbreak of bird flu
Sandwich terns and Black-headed Gulls have seen their population numbers slashed due to Avian flu
An outbreak of avian flu on Brownsea Island has killed 600 birds in recent weeks.
The outbreak has occurred at the height of the breeding season "when hundreds of birds come to Poole Harbour and nest on the islands in the Brownsea lagoon.”
Worse yet, it’s mainly impacted “big breeding colonies” such as Common Terns, Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls.
According to figures, Sandwich Terns have been most affected with only 23 remaining, down from 210 last year. Meanwhile, Black-headed Gulls have seen their population slashed from 343 last year to just 92 this year.
Izzy Williamson is Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Brownsea Island Reserves Officer, she fears that this could impact 'future bird populations'.
She told us: “Sea bird productivity isn’t amazingly high meaning that it will take a long time for their population to build back up again, so that's probably the main concern.”
Avian flu is spread by close contact with an infected bird, whether it is dead or alive which is why it’s “spreading like wildfire.”
Ms Williamson said: “Bird flu can affect birds really quickly so they can show no signs of illness and then be dead within like 24 hours, so when you're seeing them ill it's too late.”
Staff are working tirelessly to monitor and manage this situation and reduce any risk of spreading
Ms Williamson is worried that this could be a reoccurring theme every summer, she said: “We've managed to avoid bird flu until this year so the big worry, apart from the fact we've lost so many birds, is that it’s going to repeat in future summers to come.”
Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour has been closed since 16 June and the nature reserve's lagoon, surrounding reedbeds and woodlands will remain closed for the foreseeable future.