Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T04:36:57.406Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Impact of brodifacoum poisoning operations on South Island Robins Petroica australis australis in a New Zealand Nothofagus forest

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2010

Kerry P. Brown
Kerry P. Brown
Affiliation:
Ecosystems ConsultantsP.O. Box 6161DunedinNew Zealand
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

South Island Robins Petroica australis australis were monitored through two different brodifacoum (Talon 20 P, 20 ppm) control operations targeting stoats Mustela erminea and ship rats Rattus rattus in a Nothofagus forest. Repeated observations of banded and radio-tagged territorial adult Robins were used to monitor survival from 6 to 8 weeks after poisoning. Where poison was deployed in bait feeders, 96.7% (29/30) of marked Robins definitely survived, whilst where poison was freely broadcast, only 52.2% (12/23) of marked Robins definitely survived. At the non-treatment site 85.7% (18/21) of marked Robins definitely survived. This study demonstrates that individual Robins are at risk from poisoning from exposed brodifacoum on the forest floor and therefore, probably from aerial application of brodifacoum. Further research is required to determine whether the benefit to Robin populations from successful predator control outweighs the loss of some Robins from poisoning. Conservation managers must take a wide view of the ecological community impacts when controlling introduced mammalian predators.

Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 7 , Issue 4 , December 1997 , pp. 399 - 407
Copyright
Copyright © Birdlife International 1997

References

Alterio, N. (1996) Secondary poisoning of stoats (Mustela erminea) and feral ferrets (Mustela furo) and cats (Felis catus) by the anticoagulant poison, brodifacoum. N.Z. J. Zool. 23: 331–338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alterio, N., Brown, K. P. and Moller, H. (1996) Multi-predator control in a South Island Nothofagus forest. Ecosystems Consultants Report Number 3, for Timberlands West Coast Ltd, Greymouth, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Alterio, N., Brown, K. P. and Moller, H. (in press) Secondary poisoning of stoats (Mustela erminea) and a weasel (M. nivalis) in a New Zealand Nothofagus forest. J. Zool. (Lond.).Google Scholar
Atkinson, I. A. E. (1985) The spread of commensal species of Rattus to oceanic islands and their effects on island avifaunas. Pp. 35–81 in Moors, P. J., ed. Conservation of island birds. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation (Techn. Publ. 3).Google Scholar
Bradfield, P. and Flux, I. (1996) The Mapara kokako project 1989–1996. A summary report by Department of Conservation, Waikato Conservancy, Hamilton, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Brown, K. P. (1994) Predation at North Island Robin (Petroica australis longipes) and North Island Tomtit (Petroica macrocephala toitoi) nests. MSc thesis, University of Otago, Dunedin.Google Scholar
Brown, K. P. (1997) Predation at nests of two New Zealand native passerines; implications for bird community restoration. Pacific Conserv. Biol. 3: 91–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, K. P., Innes, J. G. and Shorten, R. M. (1993) Evidence that possums prey on and scavenge birds' eggs, birds and mammals. Notornis 40: 1–9.Google Scholar
Brown, K. P., Alterio, N. and Moller, H. (1997) Multi-predator control and assessment of non-target impacts in a South Island Nothofagus forest. Ecosystems Consultants Report Number 8, for Timberlands West Coast Ltd, Greymouth, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Brown, K. P., Moller, H., Innes, J. and Jansen, P. (in press) Identifying predators at nests of small birds in a New Zealand forest. Ibis.Google Scholar
Clout, M. M. and Saunders, A. J. (1995) Conservation and ecological restoration in New Zealand. Pacific Conserv. Biol. 2: 91–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clout, M. M., Karl, B. J., Pierce, R. J. and Robertson, H. A. (1995) Breeding and survival of New Zealand pigeons (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae). Ibis 137: 264–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fitzgerald, B. M. (1990) House cat. Pp. 330–348 in King, C. M., ed. The handbook of New Zealand mammals. Auckland, New Zealand: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Flack, J. A. D. (1979) Biology and ecology of the South Island Robin. Pp. 22–26 in Hunt, D. M. and Gill, B. J., eds. Ecology of Kowhai Bush, Kaikoura. Canterbury, New Zealand: University of Christchurch (Mauri Ora Special Publ. 2).Google Scholar
Godfrey, M.E.R. (1985) Non-target and secondary poisoning hazards of “second generation” anticoagulants. Ada Zool. Fen. 173: 209–212.Google Scholar
Henderson, R. J., Frampton, C. M., Thomas, M. D. and Eason, C. T. (1994) Field evaluations of cholecalciferol, Gliftor and brodifacoum for the control of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). Proc. 47th N.Z. Plant Protection Conf. 112–116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Innes, J. G. and Hay, J. R. (1991) The interactions of New Zealand forest birds with introduced fauna. Acta XX Congressus Internationalis Orithologici: 2523–2533.Google Scholar
Innes, J. G., Brown, K. P., Jansen, P., Shorten, R. and Williams, D. (1996) Kokako population studies at Rotoehu Forest and Little Barrier Island. Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. (Science for Conservation Series 30).Google Scholar
McLennan, J. A., Potter, M. A., Robertson, H. A., Wake, G. C., Colbourne, R., Dew, L., Joyce, L., McCann, A. J., Miles, J., Miller, P. J. and Reid, J. (1996) Role of predation in the decline of kiwi, Apteryx spp., in New Zealand. NZ J. Ecol. 20: 27–35.Google Scholar
Mainland, D., Herrera, L. and Sutcliffe, M. I. (1956) Statistical tables for use with binomial samples: contingency tests, confidence limits, and sample size estimates. New York: Department of Medical Statistics, New York University College of Medicine.Google Scholar
Moller, H., McKinlay, B., Alterio, N. and Ratz, H. (1992) Control of mustelids and cats to protect yellow-eyed penguins. Pp. 54–55 in Veitch, D., Fitzgerald, M., Innes, J. and Murphy, E., eds. Proceedings of the National Predator Management Workshop (Threatened species occasional Publ. 3.)Google Scholar
Moors, P. J. (1983) Predation by mustelids and rodents on the eggs and chicks of native and introduced birds at Kowhai Bush, New Zealand. Ibis 125: 137–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgan, D. R. and Wright, G. R. (1996) Environmental effects of rodent Talon baiting. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation (Science for Conservation 38).Google Scholar
Murphy, E. C. and Bradfield, P. (1992) Changes in diet of stoats following poisoning of rats in a New Zealand forest. N.Z. J. Ecol. 16: 137–140.Google Scholar
O'Donnell, C. F. J. (1996) Predators and the decline of New Zealand forest birds: an introduction to the hole-nesting bird and predator programme. N.Z. J. Zool. 23: 213–219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Powlesland, R. G. (1980). A time-budget study of the SI Robin (Petroica australis australis) at Kowhai Bush, Kaikoura. PhD thesis, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Soule, M. E. (1990) The onslaught of alien species and other challenges in the coming decades. Conserv. Biol. 4: 233–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar