Each spring, millions of short-tailed shearwaters complete one of Earth's most demanding journeys — over 15,000 kilometres from the Northern Hemisphere to Victoria's coastline — to breed in the Australian spring, as they have for millennia. This year, their arrival unfolds beneath the shadow of H5 bird flu, prompting authorities to ask coastal communities to become quiet sentinels: observe, report, but do not touch. The ancient rhythm of migration and the modern reality of disease surveillance have become, for this season, inseparable.
Shearwater migration season arrives as birds complete 15,000km journey
Finding exhausted shearwaters on shore is expected—but reporting them is essential.
Mark
So these birds are flying 15,000 kilometres every year just to breed here? That seems almost impossible.
Mimi
It is an extraordinary journey. They breed in the Northern Hemisphere during their summer, then when that season ends, they fly all the way to Australia for our spring and summer. It's one of the longest migrations any bird makes.
Luke
Do we know how many actually make it? The source says some don't survive, but it doesn't give us numbers on mortality rates.
Mimi
That's a fair point. The reporting tells us that exhaustion and the distance take a toll, but specific figures on how many die during the crossing aren't provided here.
Mark
And now there's bird flu on top of that stress. How does that change things?
Mimi
It adds another layer of risk, especially when the birds arrive already weakened. The department is monitoring closely because breeding season means large concentrations of birds in close quarters.
Luke
But we should be clear—the source doesn't say bird flu has been found in shearwaters specifically. It says H5 is present in wild bird populations generally. That's a different thing.
Mimi
You're right. The surveillance is precautionary. They're watching to see if the virus spreads to shearwaters or other at-risk species as they gather.
Mark
Why are they asking people not to touch the birds?
Mimi
Two reasons, really. One is public health—you don't want people handling potentially infected birds. The other is that moving a sick bird could spread disease to other birds or disrupt its chances of recovery.
Luke
Though again, we don't have data on how many people typically find these birds or whether direct contact has ever been a transmission vector for bird flu in this context.
Mimi
True. It's a precaution based on general disease control principles, not necessarily evidence of a specific problem here.
Mark
So what happens if someone reports a sick bird? What does DEECA actually do with that information?
Mimi
They collect it as part of their surveillance picture. Each report helps them understand where birds are struggling, which habitats might be affected, and whether disease is present.
Le Pouls
- Millions of shearwaters are washing ashore along Victoria's coast, some dead or dying after one of the longest migrations on Earth — and this year, every carcass carries a question authorities cannot afford to ignore.
- H5 bird flu has been detected in wild bird populations, and the concentration of waterbirds during spring breeding season creates conditions where an outbreak could move through colonies with alarming speed.
- DEECA has deployed ground and aerial surveillance teams across coastal and wetland habitats, racing to track disease presence before it can take hold in vulnerable species.
- Residents are being asked to resist the instinct to help — leaving sick or dead birds untouched and reporting them instead through official hotlines and online portals, turning everyday beachgoers into a distributed early-warning network.
- The surveillance effort is landing in a tense but organised posture: wildlife experts are positioned to respond quickly, and each public report becomes another data point in a state-wide picture of avian health.
Each spring, millions of short-tailed shearwaters complete one of Earth's most demanding journeys — over 15,000 kilometres from the Northern Hemisphere to Victoria's coastline — to breed in the Australian spring, as they have for millennia. This year, their arrival unfolds beneath the shadow of H5 bird flu, prompting authorities to ask coastal communities to become quiet sentinels: observe, report, but do not touch. The ancient rhythm of migration and the modern reality of disease surveillance have become, for this season, inseparable.
Every spring, millions of short-tailed shearwaters return to Victoria's coastline after crossing more than 15,000 kilometres from the Northern Hemisphere — one of the longest migrations undertaken by any bird. The journey is punishing, and some do not survive it. Exhausted birds washing up on beaches in East Gippsland and beyond are a familiar, expected sight during the season.
This year, however, the arrival carries added weight. H5 bird flu has been detected in wild bird populations, and authorities are treating the migration season with heightened vigilance. DEECA's director of wildlife and landscape protection, Eve Graham, has moved to reassure residents that stranded shearwaters are not in themselves cause for alarm — but that how people respond matters enormously. The department's message is clear: do not handle sick or dead birds; instead, report them through the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline or DEECA's online portal.
Behind that public guidance lies a coordinated surveillance operation. Ground and aerial teams have been deployed across Victoria's coastal and wetland habitats, focused on tracking disease presence, protecting public safety, and shielding the species most vulnerable to infection. The spring breeding season is a particularly sensitive window — waterbird populations are concentrated, and any outbreak could spread rapidly through colonies.
By enlisting the public as observers rather than interveners, authorities are attempting to prevent both human exposure and further transmission among the birds. Each report from a resident becomes another data point in a broader effort to understand and contain avian disease across the state — a collaboration between community vigilance and scientific surveillance, playing out along the shoreline as the shearwaters arrive.
Every spring, one of nature's most punishing journeys brings millions of small seabirds back to Australian shores. Short-tailed shearwaters are arriving now along Victoria's coastline, completing a migration that covers more than 15,000 kilometres from breeding grounds in the Northern Hemisphere. The birds make this crossing annually to breed during the Australian spring and summer, a cycle that has shaped their biology and behavior for millennia. But the distance exacts a price. Some shearwaters do not survive the voyage. Exhausted and depleted, they wash up on Victorian beaches—a sight that residents in East Gippsland and beyond will begin encountering in the coming weeks.
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action is preparing the public for what will be a familiar sight during migration season. Finding dead or dying shearwaters along the shoreline is not unusual; it is, in fact, expected. Eve Graham, the department's director of wildlife and landscape protection, has emphasized this point to reassure residents that the presence of these birds does not necessarily signal a crisis. What matters is how people respond when they find them. The department is asking community members to leave any sick or deceased shearwaters where they are found and instead report the discovery through official channels—either the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline or DEECA's online reporting portal.
The caution reflects a broader concern now shadowing the migration season. H5 bird flu has been detected in wild bird populations, and authorities are treating the arrival of shearwaters and other waterbirds with heightened vigilance. The state's response has shifted into a surveillance mode focused on three priorities: tracking disease presence, protecting public safety, and safeguarding species most vulnerable to infection. DEECA has deployed both ground-based and aerial surveillance teams across Victoria, with particular attention to coastal and wetland habitats where waterbirds congregate during the breeding season. These monitoring efforts are being conducted in coordination with wildlife experts positioned to respond quickly if disease is confirmed.
The timing of the shearwater arrival coincides with the spring breeding season for regional waterbirds, a period when populations are concentrated and vulnerable. Any disease outbreak during this window could spread rapidly through breeding colonies. By asking residents to report rather than handle sick birds, authorities are trying to prevent both human exposure and further transmission among the birds themselves. The message is clear: observe, document, report—but do not touch. For most residents, this will mean simply noting the location and condition of any shearwaters they encounter and passing that information along to the department. For DEECA's surveillance teams, each report becomes another data point in a larger picture of avian health across the state.
Citations marquantes
Finding exhausted or deceased shearwaters along the shoreline is expected during migration season— Eve Graham, Director of Wildlife and Landscape Protection, DEECA
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