Background Articles

The 4 million deaths of common murres during the intense marine heatwave was the biggest wildlife toll in modern history, the study says

More reports are emerging around the world of the virus in mammals, including species found in the Arctic. Officials say there's no evidence suggesting transmission from eating infected animals which are cooked - but country food is often eaten raw.

The Biden administration supports a land trade in an Alaskan wildlife refuge, exchanging 490 acres for 31,198 acres, despite controversy and opposition from some tribal communities.

The long-term decline is believed to be due to the accumulated effects of fishing and unfavourable environmental conditions, such as high sea temperatures, according to the findings of independent experts based on Erpur Snær's data, who has been monitoring puffins for a long time.

In recent weeks, three human infections with the virus have been confirmed—all in dairy workers who had contact with sick cows. All three developed symptoms of eye infections known as conjunctivitis. The latest case, reported in Michigan this week, also involved respiratory symptoms more typical of a flu infection.

The article discusses the potential for bird flu to mutate and spread to humans through domestic cats, highlighting unusual cases of cat infections and the risks posed by raw diets and unpasteurized milk.

The Grey-headed chickadee found in the far north of Yukon and Alaska was listed as endangered this month, and experts say the bird is so rare that it's hard to estimate its numbers. The decline might be related to competition as Boreal Chickadees are moving north because of climate change.

This article examines the unique spread of bird flu across multiple animal species, marking an unusual animal pandemic.

Eider populations along the Norwegian coast have declined by up to 80%, with a nationwide decrease of 35-40%, and the reasons remain unknown.

The poultry industry dreads avian influenza, but migratory and sea birds are succumbing to the virus in alarming numbers. Concern is rising not only about avian health but also about human health. How are our warming winters factoring into the problem?

The Icelandic gyrfalcon population is at its lowest, with many nests empty, likely due to a higher than estimated impact of bird flu.

Algal blooms in the Liffey River threaten Dublin's drinking water due to pollution and climate change, raising concerns about the safety of fish and the future impact on water treatment.

A UK study has found that some species of seabirds are developing immunity to avian influenza, which has caused significant mortalities in wild bird populations and poses a threat to human health.

If puffin hunting is banned, that population is expected to decrease by over 10% over the next decade. If hunting continues to be permitted, however, the population is expected to decrease by 30% or even as much as 50% within that same period.

The global surge of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has led to significant outbreaks and the need for vigilant surveillance and proactive measures to manage and mitigate future outbreaks.

Several bird species in the forest in Stord, Vestland, Norway are experiencing a significant decline, as indicated by the Raudlista 2021 report. Since 1980, 600 million birds in Europe have disappeared..

Nearly 1,000 migrating birds died after crashing into a building in Chicago due to a confluence of specific conditions, including unfavorable weather and lights being left on in the building.

The Department for Fisheries and Hunting in Greenland is responding to reports of sick and dead birds along the country's west coast and east coast, with concerns that it may be due to avian influenza, but the risk of transmission to humans is low.

No one knows how many birds are infected with avian influenza along the coast of Finnmark. In Vadsø, seagulls sit next to dozens of dead birds.

The current outbreaks of avian influenza (also called “bird flu”) have caused devastation in animal populations, including poultry, wild birds, and some mammals, and harmed farmers’ livelihoods and the food trade. Although largely affecting animals, these outbreaks pose ongoing risks to humans.