H5N1 bird flu kills Phillip Island penguin as Victoria reports three new detections

A little penguin on Phillip Island has died from H5N1 bird flu, marking the first confirmed detection of the virus in the island's colony. The death is one of three new bird flu detections announced in Victoria, according to the state's chief veterinary officer. Authorities said the finding does not change plans to begin vaccinating the Phillip Island little penguin colony on Monday.

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The dead penguin was found away from the area where the penguin parade takes place, which is one of the island's best-known wildlife attractions. Victoria's chief veterinary officer, Graeme Cooke, said the new detection was part of a wider set of cases announced on Saturday. The other two deaths were a great crested tern found in Lakes Entrance in East Gippsland and another in Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula.

The latest detections bring the total number of bird flu cases in Victoria to 74. Dr Cooke said there were likely more birds sick or dead in the state, indicating the outbreak remains active. Victoria's chief biodiversity officer, James Todd, said the cases were significant because the affected areas host several at-risk bird species that will gather for the spring breeding season.

He warned that the conditions were likely to favour H5N1 spread and could lead to large losses of wildlife. The case matters because Phillip Island is home to about 5,000 little penguins and is a major site for wildlife tourism. The penguin parade draws visitors from across Australia and overseas, making the colony both ecologically and economically important.

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The planned vaccination programme is intended to protect the colony and other vulnerable bird populations as the virus continues to circulate in the state. Bird flu has been a continuing concern for wildlife managers in Victoria, where officials have been responding to detections as they emerge. The current outbreak has affected multiple bird species and locations, including coastal and inland areas.

Authorities have said they are working to protect at-risk species while acknowledging that the scale of the impact may be difficult to limit. What remains unclear is how widely the virus may already have spread among wild birds in Victoria and whether further detections will follow in the coming days. Officials have not said whether the vaccination plan will be expanded beyond Phillip Island and St Kilda, though they have confirmed it will begin on Monday as scheduled.

The next developments to watch are additional test results, the start of the vaccination effort, and whether more wildlife deaths are reported.

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