Hooded Merganser on 3/19 at Marine Nature Study Area on LI. Note, this is a distressed bird. The erratic and circling movement seen in this video clip indicate infection with H5N1, Avian Influenza. H5N1 is taking a heavy toll n waterfowl and other birds in this area, that on top of a harsh winter in which many starved due to heavy snow cover. Should you encounter birds showing these symptoms, the best course of action would be to contact wildlife conservation personnel.

#birds #birding #birdphotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #H5N1 #AvianFlu

More than four out of every five dead black vultures examined by Uni of Georgia researchers tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, says a new study published in Nature.
The actual toll of the virus on the integral species is likely exponentially higher.
Black vultures’ indiscriminate scavenging appears to sustain transmission of the virus beyond the typical bird flu season, the study found. This is worrisome.

#biodiversity #avianflu #BlackVultures

newswise.com/articles/bird-flu…

Stanley Plotkin's contribution to vaccinology has been so significant that the field's textbook, now in its eighth edition, carries his name. But as vaccines increasingly come under attack, Plotkin, now 93, fears he knows what's to come: many children will die from preventative diseases.

"All I can say is that I'm beginning to regret having lived so long — because we're going downhill," he says. He worries that people have become more susceptible to anti-vaccine misinformation because they have not experienced the misery that childhood diseases once caused — and that things will not get better until outbreaks cause anguish once again.

statnews.com/2026/03/02/stanle…

#Vaccines #Virology #Science #HHS #RFKJr #Trump #GOP #Nature #Measles #COVID #AvianFlu #Rubella #Meningitis

5-Feb-2026
#H5N1 causes die-off of Antarctic skuas, a seabird
#Skua deaths mark first #wildlife mortality due to #avianFlu
on #Antarctica

eurekalert.org/news-releases/1…

#science #birdflu #influenza #ecology #conservation