Bird flu threatens South Australia's iconic pelicans, experts call for habitat protection

Adjunct associate professor Greg Johnston of Flinders University, who has tracked South Australian pelicans for 37 years, warns that the advancing H5N1 bird flu could wipe out 60-70% of the species in breeding sites such as the Coorong and Bird Island during the first wave. He predicts a "fairly torrid" two-to-three-year struggle as the virus evolves, noting overseas examples where gulls suffered greater losses in a second year.

The Coorong, celebrated as the filming location for Storm Boy, has already experienced dramatic drops in wildlife, with red-neck stints falling from 250,000 in the 1980s to 25,000 by 2010. Local tour operator Joel Hirsch and Ngarrindjeri elder Mark Koolmatrie stress the need for improved water flow and habitat protection, urging the government to consider the upcoming Murray-Darling Basin Plan review. They call on Australians to visit and support the region's iconic birds.