Peel Region’s wild birds are dropping like flies, and avian influenza is the prime suspect. Peel Public Health dropped the news on March 7, 2025, hinting at a “large number” of feathered casualties found recently. They’re keeping mum on specifics—where, how many, or when—but samples are with the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative for a verdict.
The region’s no stranger to this winged woe. Brampton logged confirmed cases on February 28 near Mayfield Road and The Gore Road, hot on the heels of Caledon’s January goose die-off by local ponds. More red flags have popped up in Brampton—Professor’s Lake, James Potter Road at Bovaird Drive West, and Ray Lawson Drive near Cherrytree Drive—raising fears of a wider outbreak.
Bird flu’s a wild bird killer with a knack for hopping to poultry and, occasionally, mammals. Human risk? “Next to nil,” say officials, with no cases in Peel or Ontario. Still, they’re preaching vigilance: dodge dead birds, call animal control or the wildlife crew if you spot them, and keep pets clear. No waterfowl feeding, indoor cats, leashed dogs, and clean bird feeders are the orders of the day. Southern Ontario’s poultry farms felt the sting last December with seven HPAI/H5N1 quarantines, and now Peel’s bracing for more as the virus spreads its wings.