Bird flu blows over, now an increase in birds with blue seaweed poisoning

Birds brought in sick or paralyzed can regain their strength at the Ostend bird sanctuary. Recently, the center has mainly received black-headed gulls and shelducks, which have contracted blue seaweed poisoning. “Weird”, says director Claude Velter, “because they are two bird species that we don’t get much of otherwise.”

Until recently, mainly birds with bird flu were brought into the center. “At the peak, about 100 Belgian gulls died every day along the Belgian coast,” says Velter. The number of infections is now gradually decreasing. The remaining gulls with bird flu are being quarantined in a blue tent outside the shelter.