Pair of stranded Herring Gulls
(Picture: Rachel Gregory / Cornwall Wildlife Trust)Experts have warned there could be more cases of bird flu to come after 30 dead seagulls were discovered on a beach in Cornwall.
Herring gulls were found dead by a dog walker on Longrock Beach, Penzance, and five were found to have tested positive for the condition.
The dog walker told Cornwall Live: “It was very unusual and quite disturbing, as I’m used to seeing the occasional dead bird, but never so many so close together.”
She reported the dead birds to the Cornish Wildlife Trust who then reported it to the government department, Defra.
The wildlife charity said they were the first cases of bird flu ever recorded in its records of over 10,000 marine strandings.
It said approximately 20 of the birds were discovered on Longrock Beach and another 14 were discovered on Marazion Beach.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low.
The charity’s marine conservation officer, Abby Crosby, said: “It’s very sad to hear about this case, as with all strandings of dead animals found around our coastline.
“Seabirds face numerous threats in our marine environment such as lack of prey, habitat loss and bycatch, so to hear that this disease is also impacting populations is terribly upsetting.
“Unfortunately, we may hear of more stories like this in Cornwall as bird flu continues to be a high risk around the country.”
Defra advises that members of the public do not pick up or touch any dead or visibly sick birds to help prevent the spread of the disease.
Dead wild waterfowl such as swans, geese or ducks, or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, should be reported to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77, states official advice.
