00:00Western Australia's songbirds are succumbing to a mystery illness.
00:07Perth's wildlife hospital has been tracking cases of so-called black and white bird disease for seven years,
00:14and numbers this summer have surged.
00:17When we first started seeing this many years ago, we'd probably get one or two birds a month.
00:21We're now seeing 200 birds a month, so a huge increase.
00:25Scientists know little about the disease, but rising cases are concerning wildlife carers.
00:31If all wildlife hospitals in the southwest see those numbers, then we're seeing a massive decline in this species.
00:37So it could be in five years' time or ten years' time we may not have magpies left in suburbia.
00:42It's a very good girl, yes.
00:46In the town of Dunsborough, carer Sandy Gillard has taken care of more than 100 birds during the recent outbreak.
00:54This one down here, the first one at the lakes, there were hundreds of birds found dead.
01:01Many of the birds can't be saved.
01:04Hungry love? Oh yes we are.
01:06Researchers are studying the disease in a variety of species.
01:11Other species that have been reported have been ravens and mudlarks and some carawongs.
01:16Prior testing has pointed to the bacterial illness botulism,
01:20but researchers say more data is needed and are urging the public to notify them about any sick or dead birds.
01:28The main things we would be looking at are things like toxins that might be in the environment at this time of year.
01:33Meanwhile, cases of the mystery disease continue to soar in our cherished native bird population.
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