It's a subject very much in the news at present, and a hot topic between all the wildlife rescues too.

Of course bird flu is around all year round, but we tend only to hear about it it the news when the poultry farms are nearing capacity with full-grown birds ready for the Festive table. While an outbreak can be catastrophic for all the birds in any one farm, there is also the risk it could spread to wild birds and then transported around the country.

All the rescue sanctuaries we work with have their own protocols in place to protect their resident birds, and some may deem in necessary to stop casualty admittance if there is a local outbreak, or perhaps restrict admittance to those solely coming from vets where the bird has been checked out before being taken to the rescue. Please be patient with these organisations - if one infected bird is admitted, it could be the death-knell for EVERY bird on those premises; the Rescue Sanctuary is simply doing its duty by those currently in their care; to protect their welfare, and not simply obstructing an admittance.

If your local rescue is not admitting, then use the links from the top of our main page to locate your nearest alternative wildlife rescue organisation.

Nigel