Avian flu is devastating National Trust seabird colonies, charity says

National Trust rangers at work on the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Avian flu has devastated seabird colonies at sites across England, Wales and Northern Ireland this year, the National Trust said, as it called on the government to coordinate detailed and long-term monitoring of the crisis.

It said more than 7,000 seabirds had died of the disease at five of its sites in 2023. Only one of its sites was affected in 2022.