As of 30 July 2026, New Zealand has two confirmed H5 bird flu detections - a kāhu and a brown skua in Wellington. No new cases since 17 July, no mass wildlife deaths, and no detections in poultry. Chicken and eggs remain safe to eat, and human health risk stays very low.
We're well prepared: MPI has stepped up surveillance with industry and other agencies, while DOC continues vaccinating 300 core breeding birds across five endangered species - kākāpō, takahē, tūturuatu/shore plover, kakī/black stilt, and kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet.
What to do if you find a dead seabird
If you see three or more sick or dead wild birds in one spot:
Don't touch or move them
Keep your distance, and keep pets away too
Report it straight away to the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66, or online at report.mpi.govt.nz
If reporting online:
Select "dead or dying wild birds" from the dropdown, then choose the bird type
Note how many birds are affected
Note the location (a GPS pin helps)
Take a photo or video if you can
MPI will reach out if they need more information.
Why this matters
H5 bird flu can spread across a broader range of wild birds than previous strains and has affected poultry, waterfowl, shorebirds, and seabirds overseas, as well as more than 60 mammal species globally. New Zealand has been monitoring its global spread for the past 20 years, and our ongoing surveillance programme (testing more than 2,500 wild birds and 12,500 commercial poultry over the last year) is exactly why these detections were picked up.