The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) is continuing to track the effects of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on wild birds across the country. 

From September 2025 through January 2026, wildlife agencies reported 241 bird mortality events involving more than 126,000 wild birds in 28 states. These reports were shared through the Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership Event Reporting System, or WHISPers, a national platform that helps wildlife managers monitor emerging health issues. 

HPAI was confirmed or suspected in 123 events, or just over half of the reported events, marking the fourth consecutive year that the virus has affected wild birds in North America. This strain of H5N1 avian influenza first reappeared in late 2021 and has since spread across all four major migratory flyways—Atlantic, Central, Mississippi, and Pacific. 

Full Article: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/news/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-continues-affect-wild-birds-across-all-four-us