{
  "id": 1769801,
  "title": "From the coasts to the plains, bird flu could threaten not just birds—but their homes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/from-the-coasts-to-the-plains-bird-flu-could-threaten-not-just-birds",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-18T18:20:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-coasts-plains-bird-flu-threaten.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Yesterday, I awoke to a cold, damp morning in Canberra, and the once lively trees were empty of birds. Their absence felt like a taste of what may come as the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu spreads across Australia, affecting both birds and mammals. Conservationists have warned that birds without trees to nest in are a diminished presence; now, we may ponder the inverse: trees without birds may be in trouble.\n\nIn Australia, birds fulfill essential roles in ecosystems, from pollinating flowers and spreading seeds to keeping trees free of sap-sucking insects. Their decline could spell trouble for entire ecosystems. Birds like honeyeaters, mound-builders such as orange-footed scrubfowls and Australian brush-turkeys, and forest floor diggers like malleefowl, quail-thrushes, and babblers all contribute to the health of the environment. Wetlands rely on plant-eating waterbirds like black swans and whistling ducks to disperse seeds and balance plant growth, while insect eaters such as musk ducks aid aquatic invertebrate populations.\n\nBird flu is likely to hit some species very hard, leaving others relatively unaffected. About 30% of Australian bird species are at high to extreme risk, with five species potentially unable to survive. Overseas, the virus has devastated black-headed gull populations and caused a significant decline in coastal peregrine falcons. In Australia, petrels and crested terns have been the main casualties since the virus arrived in June.\n\nIf the virus leads to a sharp drop in insect-eating bird populations, large trees could die, as eucalypts and other trees may gradually wither and die due to the lack of sap-sucking psyllids and leaf-eating weevils to eat. In Queensland's tropical rainforests, cassowaries, pigeons, and doves spread tree seeds through their dung, while emus, pigeons, parrots, and finches play similar roles in grasses and shrublands. If these populations plummet, some plant species could disappear from certain areas, leading to reduced genetic diversity.\n\nIn Australia, many trees and shrubs have evolved alongside honeyeaters, which serve as pollinators. A sharp decline in these birds could result in less cross-pollination, forcing plants to rely on less efficient forms of pollination and reducing fruit and seed production. Bird flu can also infect scavengers and predators, further complicating the situation. With nearly half of Australia's 850 bird species found nowhere else, their roles in waste disposal, seed dispersal, pollination, and ecosystem engineering are vital. The loss of birds could have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems, but Australian birds' resilience and unique evolutionary history offer some hope.",
  "summary": "Yesterday, I woke to a cold, damp Canberra morning—and silence. The trees around my home were empty of feathered silhouettes. Even the usual bright-eyed, warble-voiced magpies were absent.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Conversation AU",
        "title": "From the coasts to the plains, bird flu could threaten not just birds – but their homes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/from-the-coasts-to-the-plains-bird-flu-could-threaten-not-just-birds",
        "published": "2026-08-17T20:09:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}