Manly’s endangered little penguin colony will be among the first birds in the state to receive an H5 bird flu vaccination as the devastating virus spreads across NSW.
Vaccinations have begun, with the State Government teaming up with Taronga Zoo already injecting over 70 birds among 14 native and endangered species. At the front of the queue have been a variety of avians from black cockatoos to emus, as well as species with extremely low populations such as the regent honeyeater and Manly’s own little penguin colony.
There have been 16 recorded events of bird flu throughout NSW since July, with the most recent occurring yesterday, 27 August 2026, in Illawarra. However, despite the hands on response, there is currently no telling how the flu shot will affect the animals.
“We don’t know how the vaccine will work in our birds. It’s why this program, starting this week, is so important,” said Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe, at the press conference at Taronga this morning.
“In relation to wild birds, we are going to be trialling the vaccine in two places at this stage with the little penguins. The first one, of course, is at Manly, a much-loved population that’s quite small. In the coming week or so, we will be vaccinating and trialling that with those little penguins. We’re also looking at doing it down on the south coast near Narooma at Baranguba and Montague Island.”
Manly Observer asked if there would be a backup or containment plan if the vaccine proves ineffective following an outbreak in a small population of endangered species, such as the little penguins. It was relayed that the virus is difficult to contain, hence the focus being on biosecurity and vaccinations. If there is an outbreak with deaths in critically endangered species, then those birds may be captured for insurance populations within facilities like Taronga Zoo.
Admitting the flu shot isn’t a “silver bullet”, the government also has “drones in the air, people in boats and people on the ground,” as well as community reporting for maximum surveillance.
Outside of NSW, there have been far more significant H5 events, with South Australia bearing the brunt of transmissions reporting over 300 detections, including a transmission to a mammal: a long-nosed fur seal at Beachport. Victoria is also battling the spread with over 60 bird flu detections and its own vaccine rollout to major little penguin colonies on Phillip Island and St Kilda.
Globally, the spread of H5 avian influenza has caused mass mortality in hundreds of millions of wild birds and poultry and has expanded into over 100 mammal species.
Transmission of bird flu onto mammals is rare, but it’s not impossible. It’s recommended people minimise interactions between wild birds and their pets.
The vaccination trial in NSW has started small, focusing on wild bird vaccinations in Manly’s more intimate little penguin colony, which has a reported 15-21 breeding pairs. The recent Great Big Little Penguin Count report has shown a downward trend in the species’ population across the State, with Manly being the lowest recorded.
Penguins are some of the easier animals to vaccinate, as the vaccine needs to be administered a second time around 28 days after the initial injection. The flightless birds often don’t stray too far from their nests and are less difficult to recapture.
The intent of the trial is to test the safety and efficacy of this vaccine across a diverse range of species to obtain scientific evidence for an effective preparedness program. Specifically, measuring the proportion of individuals in each species group that develop antibodies capable of combating the virus, and how long those antibodies last, and how frequently the birds will need to be vaccinated.
Following this, a more widespread vaccination deployment will be released in Taronga’s wild populations as well as free-ranging species for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NSW NPWS).
For now, the vaccine is registered for use in rare and endangered species only, with biosecurity being shared as the most effective preventive measure. People with pet birds or backyard chooks are being told to have plans in place to protect those birds and to stop any risk of spread.
“If you’ve got backyard chooks, we’re asking you to make sure that you keep their food clean and under shelter, and keep their water clean and under shelter. Some people who are out in the regions might be using dam water for their backyard chooks. Please don’t do that for the moment. Use clean water. It’s about protecting them from the interaction with wild birds,” said Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty.
If you see a sick bird, be sure to report it to the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
