A Queensland woman says she has buried more than 40 dead birds she believes were burnt in the Bribie Island fire after she found them washed up on a Sunshine Coast beach.
Leisl Born was walking her dog at Currimundi Beach, near Caloundra, early this morning, when she came across 43 badly burnt birds among ash and charred debris on the sand.
"It took me a while to figure out why [my dog] was so skittish around the burnt debris lining the beach, then I realised there were little dead bodies everywhere," she said.
"There were quite a few different breeds, from really small birds to larger ones.
"[I] gave them a send-off with burials overlooking the beach."
The upsetting discovery comes after approximately 30 dead wallabies and kangaroos were found along the eastern beach at Bribie Island on Friday after wildfires began burning on Wednesday.
A planned burn at Bribie Island jumped containment lines earlier this week, forcing the evacuation of campers, and crews from QFES and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) worked to contain it.
The fires tore through campsites on Wednesday and Thursday and were contained on Friday with crews monitoring it throughout the weekend.
In a statement, a QPWS spokeswoman said the death of any native animal was unfortunate.
"Uncontrolled bushfires do claim the lives of native animals," a spokeswoman said.
"The Department of Environment and Science will conduct an assessment of the impact to protected areas and native species.
"If you come across a sick, injured or orphaned animal, please do not touch or attempt to help the animal yourself, instead contact RSPCA on 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625) or your local wildlife carer."
The QPWS spokeswoman said the department was working with QFES and forest manager HQPlantations to investigate the cause of the fire.
Ms Born said she hoped the animals she buried would be able to "rest in peace".
