Date: 17 July 2026
Work on the ground will step up after confirmation today a single Kāhu, swamp harrier hawk, which was found in the Wairarapa, is the second bird in New Zealand confirmed to have H5 bird flu, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.

“While it’s disappointing to find a native bird with H5 bird flu, it’s not unexpected following the confirmation earlier this week of our first case in a single brown skua seabird found at Petone Beach,” says Mr Hoggard. “There has been no detection in poultry.”

“The find shows our continuous bird flu surveillance and testing programme is working well, and as a result, we will step up our actions in response to bird flu in close co-ordination with our industry partners and others.”