Managing dead birds and wildlife on your land

Who these guidelines are for

These guidelines will help land managers and the public in Victoria know what to do if dead or sick wildlife are found on their land.

About H5 bird flu

Avian influenza (bird flu) is a viral disease of birds that is found globally. High pathogenicity avian influenza H5N1 (H5 bird flu) strain is currently impacting all other parts of the world, except for Australia/Oceania.  H5 bird flu is highly infectious and can be spread by the movement of birds, people and equipment.

While Agriculture Victoria has previously responded to detections of H7 bird flu in Victoria, to date there has not been a detection of H5 bird flu.

H5 bird flu is spreading globally and there is a high chance it could reach Australia. If it does, it is likely to infect wild birds and other native animals.

Signs and symptoms in wild birds

The most important sign to be aware of is sudden death. Other signs of H5 bird flu in wild birds are:

  • ruffled feathers, depression, closed eyes
  • inability to stand or fly
  • diarrhoea difficulty breathing, coughing or sneezing
  • swelling around the head, neck and eyes
  • cloudiness or change in colour of the eyes
  • lack of coordination, tremors, swimming in circles
  • twisted necks or other unusual posture.

H5 bird flu should be considered if a high number of a flock or group of birds become ill very quickly – progressing from normal to severe illness or death within 24 to 48 hours.

You may not know if the birds have H5 bird flu; however, you should treat them as though they do, in line with the advice below.

Report sick or dead wildlife

Report sick or dead wildlife by calling the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 or by using the online reporting form.

Report clusters (5 or more) of sick or dead wild birds of any species, anywhere in Victoria.

Report even one sick or dead:

  • penguin or pelican
  • bird of prey (e.g. hawk, owl, eagle)
  • black swan
  • marine mammal (e.g. seal, sea lion, dolphin).

Agriculture Victoria will triage all reports of sick or dead wild birds or mammals to assess whether samples for H5 bird flu will be collected. You may be contacted by Agriculture Victoria if sampling is likely to occur, particularly if the wildlife is on your private land. If we need to contact you, this will generally happen within 24 hours. Please note that while all reports will be reviewed, not all wildlife will be sampled.

More information on reporting dead birds is available here.

A map and summary of the reports of sick or dead wildlife received by DEECA, and subsequent sampling information where testing was undertaken, can be accessed via this link.

Managing dead wild birds on your land

If you find sick or dead birds or wildlife on your property do the following:

  • Avoid contact if possible: Leave dead wildlife to decompose where they are found unless public safety, amenity or access issues make that impractical.
  • Record what you see – how many birds and when: Photograph the location and position of the birds. This will assist Agriculture Victoria and/or the Conservation Regulator if an investigation into the cause of the bird’s death is required.
  • If disposal is necessary on your land: For low numbers of birds (less than 5 birds or 1 penguin, pelican, bird of prey or black swan), you can proceed to dispose of the dead wildlife using the existing general waste collection service such as the red lid general waste bin using the safe practices below.
    Before you proceed with disposal, you can call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 and seek advice if you need.
  • For large numbers (more than 5 birds or more than one penguin, pelican, bird of prey or black swan) or for even one mammal (e.g. seal, sea lion, dolphin): Call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 for instructions before disposal.
  • If the wildlife is on someone else’s land: Leave the animal and report it to the land manager as well as reporting the incident via the hotline or online form.

Use safe practices

To protect yourself and stop the disease from spreading when collecting dead birds, follow these steps:

  • Don’t touch dead birds with your bare hands.
  • Wear safety gear: a face mask (P2/N95 is best, but a surgical mask is acceptable if you don’t have one), glasses or goggles, long sleeves, gloves (disposable or washable) and shoes you can clean.
  • Put the wild bird in 2 plastic bags:
    • Use tongs or a shovel or turn a plastic bag inside out over your hand to pick up the bird.
    • Tie the first bag shut, then put it inside a second leak-proof bag.
    • Take off your gloves and put them in the second bag.
    • Tie the second bag and throw it in the regular waste bin.
  • Wash your clothes and clean any tools or equipment that touched the bird.
    • Clean shoes, reusable equipment (including eye protection) and any contaminated items with detergent and water to remove all visible material.
    • Disinfect these items and let them dry completely, taking care to follow the manufacturer’s instructions including required contact time with cleaning or disinfecting agents.
    • Wash clothes in a washing machine with laundry detergent on the hottest cycle appropriate for the material.
    • If you cannot clean and disinfect reusable items immediately, seal them in a plastic bag until you can.
  • Wash your hands well with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub before and after handling dead wild birds.

Practise good hygiene principles when wearing PPE:

  • Avoid touching your mouth, eyes, and nose.
  • Cover any cuts or grazes with a water-resistant dressing under PPE (i.e. band-aid).
  • Do not eat or drink whilst wearing PPE.
  • Ensure PPE is removed safely and in the correct sequence.

Risks of H5 bird flu for humans

Bird flu viruses rarely spread to people, but it can happen through close contact with infected animals (alive or dead) or, less commonly, through contact with places or things sick birds have contaminated.

The Department of Health advises that good occupational health and safety practices should be observed to minimise the risk of transmission.

What to do if you feel unwell after disposing of dead birds or wildlife

See your doctor if you develop flu-like symptoms after recently returning from a country with bird flu outbreaks, or after having contact with sick or dead birds or animals.

For more information about human health and bird flu visit the Better Health Channel or the Department of Health, Disability and Aging – Bird Flu

Protect your pets and other animals

Keep pets and other animals away from dead wildlife.

After you have disposed of the dead wildlife, you should remove and wash clothing, clean and disinfect shoes and other contaminated items, and wash your hands with soap BEFORE interacting with other people, poultry, kept birds or pets such as birds, cats or dogs.

If you wish to take extra precautionary steps, you could avoid close contact with kept birds and poultry for 48 hours after handling dead wildlife that might have H5 bird flu.

Protect our wildlife

It remains an offence under the Wildlife Act 1975 to interfere with native wildlife, even when dead.

If you suspect wildlife crime may have occurred, call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline (1800 675 888) to seek advice.

Further information

Resources

Guidance for public land managers for managing H5N1 infected wildlife in a response is available here:

Page last updated: 05 Jan 2026