11/07/2026
For anyone who's visited our home in Bullsbrook before, you've probably noticed the multiple bird cages lining the front patio. One of the first things people usually say is, "Wow... you have a lot of birds!"
Today, they're gone.
Not forever, but every one of my birds has been moved into the greenhouse to reduce their exposure to wild birds as H5N1 avian influenza edges closer. The patio suddenly feels very quiet... and a little empty. π
Here in Western Australia, H5N1 has now been detected in wild birds, while there have been no detections in poultry or captive pet birds. The risk to the general public remains low, but the potential consequences for our native wildlife are enormous.
As a wildlife carer, this is the part that's hardest to accept. Across Australia, wildlife carers are almost entirely volunteers. We donate our time, our homes, our money and our hearts to caring for injured and orphaned wildlife, yet when it comes to preparing for a disease that could devastate wild bird populations, many of us are still waiting for meaningful support, practical resources and clear planning.
This isn't about pointing fingersβit's about recognising that once H5N1 becomes established, responding will be far harder than preparing. Every day we delay is a missed opportunity to strengthen our wildlife response and support the people who will inevitably be on the front line.
I truly hope these precautions prove unnecessary. I would love nothing more than to move everyone back onto the patio and laugh about how overcautious I was.
But if that day never comes, I'll know I did everything I could to protect the birds in my care.
For now, the greenhouse is full... and the front patio is far too quiet. ποΈπ