Poisoning fears as red kites found dead in Ireland

VULNERABLE: Poisoning remains a risk for Ireland's red kites. Picture: Terry Flanagan

As a top predator, the kite is vulnerable to poisoning

November 2011: Three red kites have been found dead in County Dublin in just two weeks, prompting BirdWatch Ireland to voice fears that the birds may have been poisoned.

All the birds were found under suspicious circumstances. The National Parks and Wildlife Service has submitted the carcasses for a full post mortem to determine the cause of death, but the worry is that poison is responsible. This occurs just weeks after a red kite was confirmed as poisoned by a banned substance near Woodenbridge in Wicklow.

The reintroduction of the red kite, managed by the Golden Eagle Trust, has shown that these magnificent birds can re-establish in Ireland. A release programme which started in 2007 has now seen a breeding population established in County Wicklow, with 17 young produced in 2011.

More birds of prey poisonings than ever before
In July this year, 26 juvenile red kites were collected under licence from wild nests in Wales, and released in Newbridge Demesne, with a further 13 young red kites released shortly after from a private location in north Fingal.

Although the re-introduction of red kites has been largely successful so far, as a top predator this bird of prey is vulnerable to poisoning, both illegal and as a result of secondary poisoning from the legal use of rat poisons.

BirdWatch Ireland and the Golden Eagle Trust were successful in pressing for changes to the poisoning legislation in 2010, to afford greater protection to birds of prey. However, despite the use of poisoned meat baits now being totally against the law, during 2011 BirdWatch Ireland has recorded more bird of prey poisoning incidents than ever before, and further urgent action is needed.

John Lusby, the charity's raptor conservation officer, sad: ‘It will be incredibly disheartening if it is discovered that these birds have also died as a result of poisoning. We have witnessed some horrific illegal poisonings of birds of prey in recent months.

‘Despite the well-publicised changes to the law, poisons continue to have a devastating effect on local populations of species such as buzzard, peregrine and sparrowhawk, as well as on our countryside in general.'

Barn owls, kestrels and long-eared owls also at risk
BirdWatch Ireland is currently carrying out research to investigate the impact of potentially harmful ‘second generation' rodenticides - rat poisons - on birds of prey. These poisons are used to control rats and mice, but also have the potential to affect certain predatory bird and mammal species, particularly those that specialise in feeding on rodents and other small mammals.

Barn owls, kestrels, long-eared owls and red kites are likely to be harmed by secondary poisoning caused by these substances. The increased use of rodenticides has been widely implicated as a contributing factor in the decline of species such as the barn owl. BirdWatch Ireland is awaiting the results of testing on 70 barn owl carcasses to determine their level of exposure to rat poisons.

John Lusby said: ‘The compounds used in certain rat poisons are extremely toxic and accumulate within a bird which has fed on a poisoned rodent. Alternative methods of control can be successful with dealing with rats and mice, and in situations where the use of rat poison is necessary, choosing less harmful compounds would reduce the risk of secondary poisoning to birds of prey.

‘Research in the UK has shown that secondary poisoning has severe consequences for barn owls and gives serious cause for concern.'