‘Falling from the sky in distress’: the deadly bird flu outbreak sweeping the world

The H5N1 strain of avian influenza is sweeping across the world, killing millions of birds. In the UK, it’s causing disastrous losses of seabirds – populations that were already being hit by a number of threats, including habitat loss, overfishing and global heating. Biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston tells Madeleine Finlay about how the virus made it into wild birds, why it’s having such a devastating impact, and the long-term impact bird flu could have on some of our most vulnerable species. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod