As H5 bird flu spreads with unprecedented speed across Australia's ecosystems, the federal government has begun a targeted vaccination program for captive native birds — a measured act of triage in the face of a crisis too vast to contain. The effort, announced by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins, prioritizes endangered species like the orange-bellied parrot and black cockatoos already dependent on human care for survival. It is not a declaration of victory over the virus, but something more honest: a recognition of what can be saved, and a quiet reckoning with what cannot.