It’s going to be a long winter I think… particularly for those around Boston and Spalding. On 31st October 2025, a case of bird flu was confirmed at a poultry farm in Swineshead near Boston, followed days later by another case at a farm in Donington on 1st November 2025, and another in Corby Glen on 5th November 2025. Another case then popped up near Alford on 7th November 2025.
As cases increased in commercial facilities, we also saw a huge increase in calls about birds struggling with bird flu symptoms in the wild. We had to make the difficult decision to no longer admit certain species to our centre.
In the last week or so, we’ve had an increasing number of calls and messages about birds in Boston, Spalding and Skegness exhibiting signs of bird flu. I’ve put some information below about what we can and can’t do to help.
You can have a look on the APHA’s interactive map to see if you are in a protection zone. These are zones set up after positive cases are found. We are currently unable to accept birds into our centre that fall into one of these zones. We can still offer advice if you call us though.
You can also report dead birds to DEFRA through this link. This helps them to keep an eye on potential bird flu hot spots. They will sometimes come out and collect the bird for testing, but not always.
Our policy on suspected bird flu cases
In light of the ongoing outbreak, we’ve put the following protocol in place for suspected cases of bird flu, particularly in seabirds and waterfowl:
- Do not approach or touch the bird. Bird flu is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can (rarely) transmit to humans, and it poses a greater risk to other birds.
- Take photos or video from a safe distance if possible. This helps us assess the bird’s condition remotely.
- Send us a what3words location to pinpoint the exact spot. This allows us or other wildlife responders to locate the bird efficiently.
- Where possible, we will aim to send a local volunteer to assess and monitor the bird.
If the bird is clearly suffering and unlikely to recover, we may be able to work with a local veterinary practice to arrange humane euthanasia. However, if the bird appears stable and there is a chance of recovery, we will leave them in situ and continue to monitor. In some cases, seabirds have made surprising recoveries when left undisturbed in a safe location.
This may feel like inaction but it is the most responsible and safest way to handle suspected bird flu cases under current regulations. By removing the bird from the location, our only option is to euthanase, which is why we may choose to leave the bird where they are and monitor, so they do have a chance of recovery.
Signs of bird flu in birds
One of the difficulties with bird flu is that the symptoms are often quite vague and are similar to those of a generally debilitated bird. Signs can include:
- Lethargy or unresponsiveness
- Inability to stand, balance, or fly
- Tremors, seizures, or head tilting
- Swollen or cloudy eyes
- Diarrhoea
- Sudden collapse or death
Susceptible birds
Theoretically any bird can get bird flu, but there are some species that are more likely to. Birds that spend time around bodies of water or birds that are likely to eat carrion are more susceptible. These birds include:
- Seabirds: such as gannets, gulls (e.g. herring and black-headed), terns, kittiwakes
- Waterfowl: such as mute swans, canadian and greylag geese, mallards, tufted ducks
- Birds of prey: such as buzzards, red kites, owls
- Corvids: such as crows, magpies, jackdaws
What can you do if you find a bird you suspect has bird flu?
If you come across a sick or dead wild bird you can report it to us through this link. This will help us keep track of potential bird flu hot spots.
If you feel a bird is suffering, please call us on 01526 578579 and we will assess over the phone. Our only option will be to send a volunteer to take the bird for euthanasia, but this may be the best option for some birds. Please remember that this is a particularly hard time of year for us as not only wildlife rehabilitators but animal lovers too. The last thing we want is to see animals suffer and it’s incredibly difficult for us to know that, legally, we can’t do anything to help them other than take them for euthanasia.