Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust warns that thousands of wild birds could die if the disease takes hold in the three counties. While bird flu has not yet been officially recorded on any of the Trust’s reserves this year, a recent outbreak has been confirmed in Oxfordshire.

Estelle Bailey, Chief Executive of BBOWT, said:

“Sadly bird flu is really hitting some of our farmers hard and we’ve also had reports of the infection spreading to wild pigeons and geese, as well as hawks and even owls. It is frightening to think what a devastating impact this could have on wild birds in our area.

“Nature is already in crisis and after the heatwave this summer, birds in urban and rural areas are really struggling. It would be a tragedy if populations of much-loved garden visitors like robins and goldfinches, or iconic species like woodpeckers or tawny owls were wiped out. I’m asking everyone to do their bit to help our wonderful wild birds survive bird flu this winter.”

BBOWT manages 86 nature reserves across the three counties. Sites such as College Lake near Tring, the Nature Discovery Centre near Thatcham and Chimney Meadows near Oxford, provide ideal habitat for overwintering wildfowl. With many thousands of birds migrating across continents at this time of year, the potential for the spread of avian flu is huge.

The Trust is appealing to the public to take these steps at home and on nature reserves to help stop the disease spreading through wild bird populations and farmed flocks:

• Please keep to footpaths and away from birds
• Do not pick up or touch dead or sick wild birds
• Do not touch wild bird feathers or surfaces contaminated with wild bird droppings
• Clean home bird feeders and bird baths regularly with disinfectant
• If you keep birds, wash your hands and disinfect footwear before and after tending to them.
• Report dead waterfowl or other dead wild birds to Defra’s helpline: 03459 335577

Avian influenza poses a low risk to human health but it is highly contagious for birds. The current bird flu outbreak is the worst ever recorded in the UK – millions of farmed birds such as turkeys, chickens and ducks are at risk. Some 2.3m birds died or were culled in October alone.

This week the Government ordered that all poultry and captive birds should be kept inside. Bird keepers are legally required to follow stringent biosecurity measures to help protect flocks from the disease.

The wildlife-friendly Vine House Farm supplies wild bird food across the UK and has donated more than £2m over the past 14 years to The Wildlife Trusts - £130,000 of that to BBOWT. It has urged bird lovers to stay vigilant to the signs of avian flu and to report signs of the disease immediately.

Lucy Taylor, General Manager at Vine House Farm, said:

“Bird flu this autumn is worse than ever before, devastating for poultry farmers affected and even more catastrophic for migrating seabird colonies in the UK. Many of these sea bird colonies will never recover. There appears to be no end in sight with bird flu now endemic in this and other European countries. Yet another blow for wildlife.”

For further information on avian flu and the latest official Government advice, visit Defra’s website: www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu