There has been a surge in birds particularly magpies, pied currawongs, ravens, butcher birds, magpie larks and cuckoo shrikes being brought into vet clinics and wildlife careers in Western Australia and the South West displaying neurological signs such as, inability to stand, walk or fly, trouble lifting their head, loss of grip and often becoming fatal and cases are continuing to spike and the cause is a mystery. It is suspected that the cause may be linked to a bacteria called botulism, but more information is needed before a specific cause can be determined but the WA Wildlife Hospital and other Perth organisations are continuing to investigate the cause.

WA wildlife hospital said staff have seen almost 400 cases of black and white disease at their Perth facility in the past two months and numbers are only increasing. Western Australian magpies have presented with similar signs since around 2018 though outbreaks of the syndrome occurred in 2003 and in 2005-2006 in the East Coast Australian, with as many as several hundred birds reportedly affected. Actual numbers may have been significantly higher. There are concerns that if cases continue to grow at the current rate, it could have dire consequences for the bird population.

Although there is no cure for this disease as of yet some wildlife careers have had some success by helping hydrate and feed them.

Researchers are urging the public who see a sick bird to.

· Avoid contact with the bird. Record what you see, including the location of the animal and take photos or video if safe to do so.

· Contact a wildlife rehabilitation group or your local veterinarian.

· If you see any other unusual signs of disease or deaths in wildlife anywhere in Australia, you can report it to:

• your local State/Territory WHA Coordinator
• the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on free call 1800 675 888
• your local veterinarian who can advise further
• the Department of Primary Industries or Agriculture in the State/Territory in which the event is occurring/occurred.