‘Devastating’: Western Australia fears a black swan moment as bird flu threatens flagship species

The black swan, which has come to define the west, has been ranked as ‘very high risk’ of becoming infected with the bird flu virus. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/AAP

When the black swans start dying, Western Australians will know that bird flu has truly arrived.

The birds are an “indicator species” because once they are infected with the H5N1 virus, they are more likely to die than survive, according to the University of Queensland virologist Kirsty Short.