Tasmanian devils, swift parrots, black swans: the animals at risk if bird flu takes off in Australia

Federal government identifies more than 150 native and unique bird species and 10 mammal species at ‘very high risk’

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More than 150 of Australia’s native and unique bird species have been assessed as being at “very high risk” of extinction or major decline if they catch the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, with Western Australia’s celebrated black swans among the most susceptible.

The federal government analysis of Australia’s 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.
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