Overview
- In Germany, more than 1,000 cranes have died in Brandenburg with hundreds more found in Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, according to Tagesschau reports.
- The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain has been detected along the flyway, with affected cranes showing neurological signs such as loss of balance.
- Large aggregations at key rest sites such as Diepholz, Lac du Der and Rügen are accelerating transmission during the migration period.
- Researchers caution that the true death toll could be far higher, with one estimate warning of up to 10,000 cranes potentially lost across the route.
- The Netherlands confirmed avian influenza at a hobby holding in Steenderen, ordered culling of about 60 birds and imposed a 10‑kilometre transport ban, as nationwide housing and containment rules for poultry remain in force.