This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The scavenging behavior of many wild birds plays an important role in the type, number and variety of viruses they have, a new University of Otago–Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka-led study has found. Stephanie Waller, of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, says concern about bird flu highlighted the major role wild migratory birds play in the global spread of viruses.
"What we don't understand so well is what impact ecological drivers have on the diversity and transmission of viruses. "Aotearoa New Zealand is uniquely placed to address this knowledge gap as it's geographically isolated but has international connections thanks to birds migrating from East Asia, Australia and Antarctica." For the study, published in Current Biology, researchers collected more than 1,300 samples from 31 wild bird species between November 2023 and April 2024. They identified 118 avian viruses, including 107 novel species.
Viruses with close genetic relatives from as far away as Russia and the United Arab Emirates were identified. The researchers also found 12 mammalian-associated viruses, including viruses associated with hedgehogs, rabbits and sea lions. "We found scavenging birds and opportunistic scavengers—such as southern black-backed gulls and subantarctic skuas—had more diverse viromes than non-scavengers, highlighting their exposure to viruses across the food chain," Waller says.
Senior author Professor Jemma Geoghegan says the study highlights the important role wild birds can play in moving viruses between species, ecosystems and geographic regions. "Birds are highly mobile and can be very effective disseminators of viruses, including across international borders. At the same time, scavengers are exposed to viruses from many different animals through what they eat, which makes them particularly useful sentinels for detecting viruses circulating in the environment.
"That is especially relevant for viruses such as H5N1. Although H5N1 wasn't detected in this study because the samples were collected before its arrival in New Zealand, targeted surveillance of scavenging species could provide an important early warning of its presence and help us understand how it is moving through wildlife populations." Geoghegan says the findings will be useful for wildlife conservation, particularly for vulnerable endemic species that may be at risk from introduced species. Waller et al, Viral community structure in New Zealand's aquatic birds is associated with scavenging behavior, Current Biology (2026).
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.08.036 Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space. Full profile → Master's in physics with research experience.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
