Parks and nature reserves, meanwhile, are home to thriving flocks that have no natural predators. With bird flu spreading in parts of the world, environmental officers warn that feral chickens could act as carriers if the virus ever reached Bermuda. Their presence in reserves makes the risk of transmission to other wild birds more plausible. Farmers across all parishes report losses, and the absence of natural predators means the population is likely to keep growing. For a territory that imports much of its food, the damage raises wider concerns about Bermuda’s ability to strengthen its own food security.