# Highly pathogenic avian influenza causes mass mortality in Sandwich Tern<i>Thalasseus sandvicensis</i>breeding colonies across north-western Europe

*PRI Rank #3 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Avian ecology and behavior Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/avian-ecology-and-behavior/2026/rank-3*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #3 |
| 18m citations | 38 |
| Journal | Bird Conservation International |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0959270923000400 |
| Corresponding authors | Ulrich Knief |
| Institution | University of Freiburg, Germany |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Avian ecology and behavior Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/avian-ecology-and-behavior/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1017/s0959270923000400](https://doi.org/10.1017/s0959270923000400)

## Topics

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) · H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b · Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) · Seabird mass mortality event · Colonial seabirds · enzootic transmission · breeding colony dynamics · within-colony spread · Inter-colony transmission · adult mortality · Nestling mortality · late breeders · H5 immunity · seroprevalence · carcass removal · outbreak containment · north-western Europe · incubation period · transmission modes

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Avian ecology and behavior Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/avian-ecology-and-behavior/2026. Accessed 2026-07-21.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```