Webinar: H5 Bird Flu and Australian Wildlife
Description
Update and crucial next steps to strengthen the resilience of Australian Wildlife
It has been 5 months since H5 bird flu arrived on the mainland and, while the news headlines have slowed, the virus is still causing deaths in Australian wildlife.
In this interactive webinar, experts from Australia and Europe will unpack the impacts of bird flu globally, Australia’s outbreak, and discuss the ongoing risk to Australia’s unique birds, mammals and ecosystems.
Presenters will share their knowledge of the urgent actions needed to improve Australia's response to H5 bird flu and the critical importance of stepping up efforts to reduce threats to wildlife most at risk.
The webinar will include a half-hour Q&A session.
Lineup
Dr Chris Purnell
Chris Purnell is Manager, Wetland and Migratory Shorebirds at BirdLife Australia. With a background in ecology, he leads BirdLife's work on wetland birds and migratory shorebirds, including species recovery and shorebird conservation. Since H5 bird flu reached the Australian mainland in June 2026, Chris has been one of BirdLife's lead voices on the outbreak, including on how the virus may spread through waterbirds.
Wouter Courtens
Wouter Courtens is a seabird ecologist at the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) in Brussels, where he has worked since 2003. His research focuses on the foraging ecology and population dynamics of seabirds, particularly terns and gulls. He leads monitoring of rare and colonial breeding birds in Flanders and is undertaking a PhD on the effects of highly pathogenic avian influenza on Sandwich Terns, which lost more than 17% of their north-western European breeding population in 2022.
Jack Gough
Jack Gough is Chief Executive Officer of the Invasive Species Council, appointed in April 2025 after serving as Advocacy Director. A campaigner and policy analyst focused on where agriculture and conservation meet, he has held policy roles at NSW Farmers Association and the NSW Nature Conservation Council, advised NSW cross-bench MPs, and managed national conservation programs at the Pew Charitable Trusts. At the Council he has helped deliver more than $100 million in funding for bird flu preparedness.
Kate Millar
Kate Millar was appointed CEO of BirdLife Australia in 2023. She is highly experienced in executive leadership, financial management, and stakeholder engagement across the private and public sectors. Kate has worked in emergency management and recovery and as a park ranger. With a background in forest science, she is passionate about protecting nature through leadership, collaboration and evidence-based conservation.
Your MC is Prof Hugh Possingham
Professor Hugh Possingham FRS is President of BirdLife Australia and a Professor in the School of the Environment at The University of Queensland. He co-developed Marxan, conservation planning software used in more than 180 countries, and was Chief Scientist of The Nature Conservancy (2016–2020) and Queensland Chief Scientist (2020–2022). Hugh has published more than 760 peer-reviewed papers, is a Fellow of the Royal Society and is a keen birder.
FAQs
- How do I access the webinar on the day?
This event will be held on Microsoft Teams. An access link will be delivered in your order confirmation email and reminder emails.
It’s recommended to join on a Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome browser if you don’t have the Microsoft Teams app installed on your mobile or desktop.
- I don't see the webinar event in my calendar, what do I do?
You can add the event to your calendar (e.g. Gmail, Outlook, Apple) using the add to calendar link found in your order confirmation email after you have registered.
- Will the webinar be recorded?
Yes! If you are not able to attend the live event, the webinar recording will be made available a week or two after broadcast.
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