Does H5N1 threaten endangered birds?
The virus at present appears to be lethal to some species of wild birds, and its infection of endangered species could be catastrophic. It is estimated that up to 10 % of the world population of Bar-headed Geese died at Lake Qinghai in China. The main risk to endangered birds will be to those whose small populations concentrate in areas where the virus has become established, especially in poultry that use the same water and food supplies. There are a large number of globally-threatened waterbird species in South-east Asia and several in South-east Europe whose populations have already been reduced by habitat loss and over-hunting, for which H5N1 could pose an additional risk to their future.
