RSPB Press Release Avian Influenza
Following advice from Public Health England we will not initially be closing the reserves. Signage at the affected sites provides guidance to visitors, emphasising the importance of hygiene. Visitors should take care to avoid physical contact with dead or sick birds, which should be reported to site staff or directly to the Defra hotline (details below). RSPB staff and volunteers across our entire reserves network will continue to be vigilant for dead or sick birds and will report these to Defra as required.
There is no record of this strain of bird flu ever being transferred to people and the risk to humans is low. Defra have assessed that the risk to poultry remains at low to medium, and will vary according to the level of biosecurity on site.
Members of the public are encouraged to report any dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks), or other dead wild birds such as gulls or birds of prey, to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77.
More information about the latest situation on bird flu in the UK and advice on reducing risks can be found on the Defra website here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-influenza-bird-flu-in-winter-2016-to-2017.
Why are all the birds on this site not being culled? Flocks of chickens and turkeys which don’t travel about get culled, wild birds which *do* are not culled. Something isn’t right about this. If avian flu is detected, all the birds in the area should be culled just as they are with chickens.
Editor’s Comment. If you are talking about pheasant the reason is they are covered by a government D notice. The only people who can legally kill them are the shooters, stinks really