New Zealand’s Department of Conservation is vaccinating core breeding birds from five highly threatened native species as a precaution against H5 bird flu.
The first group includes kākāpō, takahē, shore plover, black stilt and orange-fronted parakeet. About 300 birds in captivity or on offshore islands are included because their small populations depend on intensive recovery programs.
Vaccination cannot cover every wild bird, but it may protect irreplaceable breeding populations while surveillance and response work continue.