A severe outbreak of bird flu has killed thousands of migratory cranes in eastern France since October 20th, prompting wildlife authorities to deploy emergency teams and farmers to cull infected flocks.

The French Biodiversity Office (OFB) said between 7,000 and 10,000 cranes have died in the Grand Est region, with over 5,000 carcasses collected near Lac du Der, a major stopover site for the species during their annual migration.

This outbreak is unprecedented, head of Haute-Marne Departmental service of French Biodiversity Office, Vincent Montibert said, adding that mobile brigades have been deployed and poultry farms in the area have been placed under confinement.

Despite containment measures, a laying hen farm located five kilometres from the lake reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

The farmer said nearly the entire flock of 3,800 to 3,900 hens succumbed to the virus, with only 300 surviving before being culled.

“It spreads very quickly among them. Every day more hens were dying, until almost the whole flock was gone,” the farmer said, estimating a financial loss of €35,000 due to an estimated four-month halt in egg production.

Lac du Der attracts around 100,000 cranes each year and is a popular site for birdwatchers. While the outbreak appears to be slowing, the OFB warned that further deaths are likely as the migration season continues and new birds arrive, potentially carrying the virus.

France required poultry to be confined indoors in high-risk areas from October 21 to prevent the spread of bird flu. Following a devastating bird flu epidemic in 2023 on ducks, the government has also made duck vaccination compulsory.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

GIFFAUMONT-CHAMPAUBERT, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 7, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF CRANES FLYING DURING SUNRISE

2. BIRDS IN WATER AND FLYING

3. VARIOUS OF CRANES FLYING DURING SUNRISE

4. CRANE ON LAKE SHORE

5. DEAD CRANE IN MUD BY LAKE

6. AGENTS OF THE FRENCH BIODIVERSITY OFFICE (OFB) PREPARING TO COLLECT DEAD CRANE

7. (SOUNDBITE) (French) HEAD OF HAUTE MARNE DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE OF THE OFB, VINCENT MONTIBERT, SAYING:

“Since October 20, we've been having an episode of (bird) flu, which mainly affects the common crane. And so we've had a lot of common cranes found dead or moribund due to this virus, which only affects the birds. In the whole area in any case - the Haute-Marne department, the Marne department, and in parts of the Aube department (all in Grand Est Region), we've had until today between 7,000 to 10,000 cranes killed by this virus.”

8. VARIOUS OF AGENT OF OFB COLLECTING DEAD CRANE AND PUTTING IT IN PLASTIC BAG

9. (SOUNDBITE) (French) OFB COORDINATOR OF BIRD FLU SURVEILLIANCE IN WILDLIFE, LOIC PALUMBO, SAYING:

“The bird will be transported to the nearest veterinary laboratory. Here, it's the laboratory of Troyes which will be able to do the swabbing, which will then be transmitted to an approved laboratory, which in turn will be able to do the analysis to search for the virus, which will confirm whether the circulation is still active or not.”

10. VARIOUS OF OFB AGENTS COLLECTING DEAD CRANE

11. OFB AGENTS DISINFECTING SHOES

12. PUTTING THE BAG INTO TRAILER

13. VARIOUS OF PLASTIC BAG IN THE TRAILER READING (French) ‘BAG FOR TRANSPORTING THE CARCASS OF A WILD ANIMAL’

14. VARIOUS OF OFB AGENTS NEAR LAC DU DER

RIVES- DERVOISES, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 6, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

15. OFB AGENTS NEAR LAC DU DER

16. OFB AGENT LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS

17. CRANES FLYING

18. HEAD OF HAUTE MARNE DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE OF THE OFB, VINCENT MONTIBERT TALKING ABOUT BIRD FLU PREVENTION WITH TOURISTS

19. TOURIST OBSERVING BIRDS

20. BIRDS FLYING

21. MONTIBERT LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS

22. EMBROIDERED INSCRIPTION ON MONTIBERT'S JACKET READING (French) ‘Environmental police’

23. (SOUNDBITE) (French) HEAD OF HAUTE MARNE DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE OF THE OFB, VINCENT MONTIBERT, SPEAKING TO TOURISTS, SAYING:

“If I have one piece of advice, especially if you've been walking on grass, give your shoes a good wash tonight. Soap and warm water are enough, as a precaution. But it's less risky when walking on asphalt.”

24. VARIOUS OF TOURISTS WATCHING BIRDS

25. VARIOUS OF BIRDS ON SURFACE OF WATER DURING SUNSET

26. MONTIBERT WATCHING BIRDS DURING SUNSET

27. VARIOUS OF CRANES FLYING

28. BIRD FLYING AND OTHERS ON SURFACE OF WATER

29. VARIOUS OF CRANES FLYING

30. BIRDS ON SURFACE OF WATER DURING SUNSET

RIVES-DERVOISES, (NOVEMBER 7, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

31. HEN HOUSE

32. SIGN READING ON DOOR OF HEN HOUSE, READING (French) ‘HEALTH POLICE - ACCESS PROHIBITED’

33. FARMER, EMMANUEL DROUARD, OPENING DOOR OF HEN HOUSE

34.(SOUNDBITE) (French) CHICKEN FARMER, EMMANUEL DROUARD, WALKING INSIDE HEN HOUSE SAYING:

“Third, fourth day, yes. So when I came back in to check on the health conditions (of the hens), and the level of mortality, that's when I discovered that half of the hens were dead.”

35. DROUARD SHOWING VIDEO OF HIS HENS, AFFECTED BY BIRD FLU

RIVES- DERVOISES, (RECENT - OCTOBER 28, 2025) (EMMANUEL DROUARD - Access all)

36. HENS, AFFECTED BY BIRD FLU, SOME DEAD

RIVES-DERVOISES, (NOVEMBER 7, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

37. (SOUNDBITE) (French) CHICKEN FARMER, EMMANUEL DROUARD, SAYING:

“The deaths started on the 25th (October, 2025). When I entered the hen house, I discovered dozens of dead hens. Right away, I understood that we were contaminated. If we were confined, it's because there is suspicion everywhere of bird flu, voila.”

38. VARIOUS OF HEN DROPPINGS AND FEATHERS

39. EMPTY HEN HOUSE

40. VARIOUS OF SPOUTS TO PROVIDE WATER FOR HENS

41. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FARMER, EMMANUEL DROUARD, SAYING:

“Then everything went very fast. Because they (the chickens) are confined, it was very contagious them, it (bird flu) spread very quickly among them. Everyday more hens were dying, until almost the whole flock was gone. There were 200 - 300 hens left, among the 3,800, 3,900 hens."

42. VARIOUS OF TRACTOR AND SIGN READING (French) ‘HEALTH POLICE - ACCESS PROHIBITED’