Tasmania begins vaccinating Orange-bellied Parrots against bird flu
Around 350 birds are expected to be vaccinated as Tasmania moves to protect the managed insurance population and juveniles intended for release.
Tasmania has begun vaccinating captive Orange-bellied Parrots against H5 bird flu, with around 350 birds expected to receive the vaccine by February.
The state government launched the programme on 1 September as part of preparations to protect one of Australia's most threatened birds. The species' only wild breeding population is found at Melaleuca in Tasmania's south-west.
Vaccination will concentrate on birds held within managed breeding programmes. These include juveniles bred at the Five Mile Beach Wildlife Management Facility that are expected to be released at Melaleuca to reinforce the wild population.
The programme is intended to reduce the risk that an outbreak could devastate the captive insurance population. It may also give released juveniles a degree of protection before they join wild birds at the breeding site.
Orange-bellied Parrots undertake a demanding migration across Bass Strait between their Tasmanian breeding grounds and wintering habitat on the coast of south-eastern mainland Australia. Their small population and reliance on intensive conservation management make a new disease threat particularly serious.
The government cautioned that vaccination is not a practical answer for most wild bird species. Delivering two or more doses to free-flying birds, monitoring their response and meeting strict permit conditions all limit the approach to a small number of closely managed populations.
“We know there is no treatment for H5 bird flu, which is why prevention and preparedness are so important.”
Guy Barnett, Tasmanian Minister for Environment and Climate Change
Federal conditions also restrict the species currently considered suitable for vaccination. Tasmania said it would continue assessing whether the measure could be used for other priority threatened birds.
Vaccination is therefore one part of a broader preparedness programme rather than a barrier capable of stopping the virus from reaching wild birds. Surveillance, hygiene, rapid diagnosis and the separation of managed groups remain important because no vaccine guarantees that every individual will avoid infection or disease.
The first injections nevertheless mark a significant intervention for a species that has previously fallen to extremely low numbers in the wild. The coming months will show how many birds complete the programme before the next round of releases and breeding activity at Melaleuca.
11 Sep 2026
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