Bird flu in migrating wild Common cranes in Europe in autumn 2025

Jana

Jana

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Worrying pictures and news come from people observing autumn migration of common cranes in western Europe this year. A lot of dead or sick birds due to bird flu. Thousands of bodies were already collected at several major stopover sites in Germany, France and Spain.

If you happen to see dead or sick common crane, dont touch it, dont try to save it. Call autorities to collect it. Most wildlife rescue station in that area has stoped to accept weak cranes and other waterfowl to prevent spread of infection anyway.

West-European migration road is used by cca 450.000 common cranes. Latest estimate expects that between 70.000 and 140.000 of them might not survive this winter.
 
Jana said:
Worrying pictures and news come from people observing autumn migration of common cranes in western Europe this year. A lot of dead or sick birds due to bird flu. Thousands of bodies were already collected at several major stopover sites in Germany, France and Spain.

If you happen to see dead or sick common crane, dont touch it, dont try to save it. Call autorities to collect it. Most wildlife rescue station in that area has stoped to accept weak cranes and other waterfowl to prevent spread of infection anyway.

West-European migration road is used by cca 450.000 common cranes. Latest estimate expects that between 70.000 and 140.000 of them might not survive this winter.
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This is truly heartbreaking news. Common cranes are such remarkable birds, and their migrations across the continent are, I think, one of nature’s most beautiful spectacles. Hearing that such high numbers are suffering and dying from influenza this season is tragic. Could you please share a link to a source or report, just to personally track the situation. Thank you for sharing this information, however sad it may be.
 
I live in a hotspot for wintering cranes and this year is being terrible. Usually we have about 15-20.000 cranes on my area feeding all winter on the cereal crops, but this year I only have seen very small groups. Maybe they have changed their territory, but I guess most of them have died before even arrive here...
 
Jana said:
Worrying pictures and news come from people observing autumn migration of common cranes in western Europe this year. A lot of dead or sick birds due to bird flu. Thousands of bodies were already collected at several major stopover sites in Germany, France and Spain.

If you happen to see dead or sick common crane, dont touch it, dont try to save it. Call autorities to collect it. Most wildlife rescue station in that area has stoped to accept weak cranes and other waterfowl to prevent spread of infection anyway.

West-European migration road is used by cca 450.000 common cranes. Latest estimate expects that between 70.000 and 140.000 of them might not survive this winter.
Click to expand...

That's dreadful news. It's been a poor year for Cranes with many of the UK based ones failing to breed successfully due to the very dry weather (none of the regular Slimbridge pairs raised youngsters this year for example as nests lost their water surrounds and were predated etc) but that's potentially devastating. Thanks for sharing the articles. That film is hard to watch indeed.
 
Does someone has information about the recovery rates of the cranes after such events ? Some of them have occured in the past in Middle East, India and very probably in East Asia.
 
Haliaeetus said:
Does someone has information about the recovery rates of the cranes after such events ? Some of them have occured in the past in Middle East, India and very probably in East Asia.
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I haven´t read any articles that would quantify recovery of cranes after bird flu episodes.

Common crane population, prior to this event, has been steadily growing. It recovers from local extinctions in parts of its former breeding range in Central and Southern Europe. I have seen growth rates of 5 - 8% per year mentioned a few times, coming from various countries around here, and I think this might be realistic expectation.
 
Not cranes but linked bird flu wise as we are obviously seeing cases here in the UK so thought I would add to this thread hope that's ok.

Was at Welney today enjoying the Whoopers coming in for winter but was incredibly sad to find there were 15 dead swans in the top scrape - looked like both Mutes and Whoopers (the reserve will remove them). Apparently it's been a few a day. I've never seen dead swans in numbers like that before. Hundreds of swans have arrived (and 1,000 pink footed geese) so it's not the sort of awful numbers highlighted for the cranes...I hope that's not a matter of not yet.
 
Lafone said:
Not cranes but linked bird flu wise as we are obviously seeing cases here in the UK so thought I would add to this thread hope that's ok.

Was at Welney today enjoying the Whoopers coming in for winter but was incredibly sad to find there were 15 dead swans in the top scrape - looked like both Mutes and Whoopers (the reserve will remove them). Apparently it's been a few a day. I've never seen dead swans in numbers like that before. Hundreds of swans have arrived (and 1,000 pink footed geese) so it's not the sort of awful numbers highlighted for the cranes...I hope that's not a matter of not yet.
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This sounds truly heartbreaking.
 
Lafone said:
That's dreadful news. It's been a poor year for Cranes with many of the UK based ones failing to breed successfully due to the very dry weather (none of the regular Slimbridge pairs raised youngsters this year for example as nests lost their water surrounds and were predated etc) but that's potentially devastating. Thanks for sharing the articles. That film is hard to watch indeed.
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I hope it doesn't affect the UK ones. I was told the same about lack of breeding in the larger Somerset population this year too. There is bird flu on the Somerset levels where they live too (a couple of dead swans were reported at Catcott Lows the other day and I think Ham Wall are issuing alerts and have closed one or more hides.) For the first time I've been seeing Cranes on the levels recently (having seen them in Norfolk and at Slimbridge in the past), including a pair very close-up in a field and a flock of 17 in flight!
 
merlin said:
This sounds truly heartbreaking.
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It was so sad, a lovely bright day and all the swans and geese and wigeon noises were a perfect chorus, but the poor dead swans lying about, just continued to bring it home what the horrible consequences of bird flu are. I guess it begs the question do we have to do more / can we do more about it.

Pertinax said:
I hope it doesn't affect the UK ones. I was told the same about lack of breeding in the larger Somerset population this year too. There is bird flu on the Somerset levels where they live too (a couple of dead swans were reported at Catcott Lows the other day and I think Ham Wall are issuing alerts and have closed one or more hides.) For the first time I've been seeing Cranes on the levels recently (having seen them in Norfolk and at Slimbridge in the past), including a pair very close-up in a field and a flock of 17 in flight!
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It's great to see these big flocks. A large group flew over the tower at Slimbridge the other weekend, amazing.

But a worrying time for the UK population and all our birds...I hope we don't see a spread of flu that undermines all the good work done with the population here.

The dead swans were so sad to see and with such large numbers of winter migrants here the threat is obviously very high. I wouldn't be surprised if the RSPB / WWT and the wild trusts close out more hides or reserves, though in the case of the Whooper swans they are all over the fields (indeed I got the best views not in the reserve yesterday but by parking up safely and then wandering around footpaths out and about). They did have footbaths in place yesterday.
 
I was also surprised to see Welney continuing to do the large scale bird feeds (Slimbridge have stopped organised feeds and had signs about it when I was there the other day though visitors can still buy grain), while I know they are a big draw for people to see such a lot of birds en masse, it seems strange to do when there are dead swans on the reserve and a reported severe outbreak in the area. Guess they will keep it under review. Have to say having done a bit of reading around I am more not less worried for the Whoopers (and other swans) this year.
 
Lafone said:
I was also surprised to see Welney continuing to do the large scale bird feeds (Slimbridge have stopped organised feeds and had signs about it when I was there the other day though visitors can still buy grain), while I know they are a big draw for people to see such a lot of birds en masse, it seems strange to do when there are dead swans on the reserve and a reported severe outbreak in the area. Guess they will keep it under review. Have to say having done a bit of reading around I am more not less worried for the Whoopers (and other swans) this year.
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I visited WWT Slimbridge today and, despite a frosty start and an otherwise drizzly day, the Wild Bird Feed was operating as I expected from Peng. However, as you mentioned, this was interesting given that Slimbridge had displayed notices indicating that organised feeding would cease, and I came across the feed purely by chance (despite a rather well-sized audience being present).

To date, twenty-six healthy Bewick’s have arrived, along with a first-winter bird this year. Nevertheless, I fear that avian influenza may be approaching, as a collapsed Canada Goose I spotted from Estuary Tower was exhibiting all the tell-tale signs. It is such a horrible way for a bird to end up, and I notified staff of the concern.
 
Dr. Loxodonta said:
I visited WWT Slimbridge today and, despite a frosty start and an otherwise drizzly day, the Wild Bird Feed was operating as I expected from Peng. However, as you mentioned, this was interesting given that Slimbridge had displayed notices indicating that organised feeding would cease, and I came across the feed purely by chance (despite a rather well-sized audience being present).

To date, twenty-six healthy Bewick’s have arrived, along with a first-winter bird this year. Nevertheless, I fear that avian influenza may be approaching, as a collapsed Canada Goose I spotted from Estuary Tower was exhibiting all the tell-tale signs. It is such a horrible way for a bird to end up, and I notified staff of the concern.
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Yes saw the youngster the other day which was great as the Bewick didn’t bring in any last year. Looked great too. I do worry about what will happen to them all now.

It’s so concerning it’s usually such a lovely time of year (I look forward to it only second to spring nesting myself) and now there’s this potential disaster. I thought they had stopped the feeds there due to the signs I’m surprised to see them continuing. Of course they know the site best and the birds gather anyway but all the same.

I mentioned the swans to the centre too and also reported the dead ones as the number was so large via the link on the RSPB site to the reporting website

Report dead wild birds

I was surprised when they called me back to clarify the details - I’d have expected them to have been reported already.

Poor birds who have it it’s a bad way to go.
 
Lafone said:
Yes saw the youngster the other day which was great as the Bewick didn’t bring in any last year. Looked great too. I do worry about what will happen to them all now.

It’s so concerning it’s usually such a lovely time of year (I look forward to it only second to spring nesting myself) and now there’s this potential disaster. I thought they had stopped the feeds there due to the signs I’m surprised to see them continuing. Of course they know the site best and the birds gather anyway but all the same.

I mentioned the swans to the centre too and also reported the dead ones as the number was so large via the link on the RSPB site to the reporting website

Report dead wild birds

I was surprised when they called me back to clarify the details - I’d have expected them to have been reported already.

Poor birds who have it it’s a bad way to go.
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Slimbridge is a possible recipe for disaster re Bird Flu, as there are also so many feral greylag geese and mallard etc that fly in and out of the captive waterfowl enclosures, it must be easy for them to come in contact with any affected birds. I don't know how they can lessen the risk.
 
Good short video from the RSPB on the risks of flu (also raising funds for disease research for transparency though that’s a minor element) and the concerns this might be a very bad winter for our birds along with some info on previous outbreaks.

Some lovely Barnacle geese are featured.

 
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