WELLINGTON — New Zealand has detected its first case of H5 bird flu after a migratory seabird, a brown skua, tested positive for the virus on Petone beach in Wellington, officials announced on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard urged New Zealanders to remain alert following the confirmed case. He noted there is currently no evidence of transmission between wild birds or any mass mortality in wildlife.

H5 bird flu is known to cause severe disease and high death rates in poultry and wild birds globally. Neighboring Australia, which had been free of the H5 strain for years, reported its first case in June 2026.

To protect its unique avian species, New Zealand authorities have been vaccinating breeding populations of the country's five most endangered birds: the kakapo, takahe, shore plover, black stilt, and orange-fronted parakeet. Many native birds, such as the kiwi, are flightless and evolved in an environment without mammals prior to human arrival.

Authorities have also requested the public to report sightings of three or more sick birds to help monitor the situation.

Sources

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