Tourists have been urged to stay away from sick or dead birds that have washed up on the UK's beaches as avian flu - commonly known as bird flu - continues to ravage wild populations.

The largest outbreak of the typically-seasonal virus has killed off thousands of birds already.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has warned the spread among seabird populations is a "crisis that could become a catastrophe".

Despite the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) saying the risk to humans is 'very low', beachgoers are still being told to keep a safe distance.

Where the birds have been found:

In the past month alone, hundreds of dead birds suspected to have been infected with avian flu have been found washed up on popular tourists beaches across the UK, including:

  • Sefton Coast
  • Beaches near Blackpool
  • Stonehaven Beach in Aberdeenshire
  • Isle of Man
  • South Pembrokeshire coast

Rhian Sula, general manager for the National Trust, which owns and manages about a quarter of the Pembrokeshire coastline, said its staff were out and about on beaches warning visitors of bird flu.

She told the BBC that while locals are informed of the virus, "not all visitors are".

"As much as we have placed warning signs out, they may not see them or they may ignore them so we are having to have those conversations about why it is important to keep dogs on the lead and keep away from the birds," she added.

While human infections are sporadic, bird flu can be spread through close contact with infected birds and their droppings.

Across the UK, the current outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has seen 190 confirmed cases since October 2022, leading to the culling of millions of poultry.

It is said to have killed at least 50,000 wild birds - but that is generally accepted to be an underestimate.

Jeff Knott, the RSPB's director of policy and advocacy, said there had been an "unprecedentedly large number" of seabird deaths.

He told the BBC: "Tens of thousands of birds are washing up around our coastline but that could represent hundreds of thousands, potentially millions, of birds.

"Obviously, seabirds spend most of their time out at sea - so the chances of them washing up on a beach are fairly low so we can't know the actual number."

Mr Knott added that, coupled with threats posed by environmental and climate change, the impact of wind farms and bycatch by fishing vessels, "bird flu could be the straw that broke the camel's back" for rarer seabirds, posing a risk of local extinction.

"This is a genuine crisis that could become a catastrophe," he added.

The RSPB is now calling on the UK's devolved governments to bring in new seabird conservation strategies.

What the UK's home nation administrations have to say:

The UK's chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: "More widely, the government has taken wider measures to support seabirds through the marine wildlife bycatch mitigation initiative and will publish an English seabird Conservation and recovery pathway that will assess seabird vulnerabilities and the actions needed to address them."

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said it would be consulting on a seabird conservation strategy next year.

She said: "It will identify opportunities to enhance our seabird populations' resilience to pressures such as avian flu, as well as the climate and nature emergencies."

A Scottish government spokesperson said its seabird conservation strategy was "in development" and it would "consult on the plan in due course".