Raptors at Risk

By Abbie Lahmers

Audubon Advocates Rally to Ban Rodenticides Dangerous to Wild and Human Lives

You don’t need to spend a lot of time searching the sky through binoculars to encounter raptors in Rhode Island. Almost everyone has seen Red-tailed Hawks perching sentry atop light posts along Route 295, or a flash of their umber feathers eclipse the forest canopy as smaller animals scatter beneath their keen surveillance. Enthusiasts anticipate Audubon’s livecasts showing the first clutch of Peregrine Falcon eyases hatching on the roof of Westminster Street’s Industrial National Bank every year, and many of us can remember our first sighting of an Osprey diving with practiced precision for a fish. In rural backyards, we listen for Barred Owls croon ing, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?” And along Providence streets, if you’re in the right place at the right time, you may be startled by a flurry of feathers signaling the kill before a falcon or hawk alights with its prey.

The closeness of raptors to our built landscapes is a reminder of our membership in a vast and interconnected ecosystem, and of our imposing role in these birds’ lives. Even as we admire raptors’ remarkable hunting instincts that keep rodent populations under control, human interference disrupts the natural food chain in detrimental ways – a Great Horned Owl can prey on up to 4,000 rodents each year, and yet rats poisoned by rodenticides can kill these owls and other birds of prey.

Earlier this year, Audubon introduced a bill in the General Assembly that would ban the sale and use in Rhode Island of one of the most dangerous culprits – second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) – following the example of neighboring states and spurred by the number of cases of non-target animal deaths across the region.

Putting these toxins into the environment is making it much harder for raptors to survive in a world that's already made very difficult for them by humans.– Dr. Mo Beck

“Putting these toxins into the environment is making it much harder for raptors to survive in a world that's already made very difficult for them by humans,” emphasizes wildlife veterinarian Dr. Mo Beck, of Beck Veterinary Services, who has extensive experience treating raptors. They explain that SGARs inhibit blood clotting, which could potentially cause fatal hemorrhaging.

“Part of the really terrible thing about SGARs is that when rodents eat the bait, they don't die right away from that first dose,” Beck says. The long half-life of SGARs means that rodents may consume more than the lethal dose while still alive, and the poison is still potent if the rodent, slowed by the effects of the rodenticide, is preyed upon by raptors and other predators.

Even if a raptor suspected of being poisoned is found and brought to a wildlife veterinarian in time, chances of recovery can vary based on toxicity levels and any injuries suffered as a result. Treatment requires extensive time in captivity and sometimes hard-to-come-by blood transfusions. “In Rhode Island, I can pretty confidently say I've treated many cases of this and sometimes they do recover if it's more mild, and in other cases it can become quite critical and unfortunately they do not make it,” says Beck.

Regulations of the insidious rodenticide are slim. In 2008 the EPA acknowledged the harm of SGARs to human health and the ecosystem and took measures to discourage consumer use by, for instance, requiring a minimum packaging size. But SGARs are not classified as restricted use pesticides, which means they can still be easily purchased online and are widely used by pest control companies.

Justifiable concerns over growing rat populations have taken the forefront of a narrative that often only sees the forest for its trees – or rather, the ecosystem for its rats. But the reality is that SGARs present a drastic, “nuclear approach” solution more harmful to wild and human lives than the original problem.

“During the pandemic, there were huge spikes in numbers of rodent reports in cities and towns, typically reported by people residing in under-served communities,” says Phoenix Wheeler, Audubon Director of Advocacy. Wheeler doesn’t mince words when they say SGARs are a scam. The time and funds it takes to repeatedly apply the poison doesn’t offer a permanent solution, and exposure to poisoned rodents in and around residential homes poses a serious risk to children and pets.

The American Poison Control Centers of America reported 11,000 cases of people treated for inadvertent rodenticide poisoning in 2022, with over 30 deaths. If these statistics aren’t chilling enough, SGARs can also end up in stormwater runoff, impacting soil quality and fish populations.

“Raptors and other species affected by these chemicals play very important roles in Rhode Island ecosystems. The whole reason that people are using these chemicals is because they want rodents under control, but if raptor populations are thriving, these birds can get rid of many rodents per year,” Beck explains. “Most of the harms I see as a wildlife veterinarian are related to human impacts, either directly or indirectly, and this is one thing we can take out of the mix if we just stop using this chemical and start using alternatives.”

“Integrated pest management is a much better option for rodent control than poison in and around your home,” Wheeler elaborates. This tailored, humane approach assesses the extent of the rodent issue on a property and employs tactics to keep them out of a building and prevent infestations. “This approach uses multiple methods to control rodent population rather than an overreliance on SGARs and helps mitigate the human-to-rodent impact so diseases aren’t spread, which is one concern that many have with rodents.”

Sealing off potential entry points in the roof, walls, and foundation; keeping debris away from the property; removing food and water sources (including bird seed); and securing trash cans and dumpsters are all part of the strategy. Natural deterrents and repellents like wire mesh, strobe lights, and cayenne pepper can help keep rodents at bay, and when trapping is necessary, snap traps, when used safely, are a less cruel substitute to glue traps.

Wheeler also notes a lesser-known alternative: rat sterilization. Available for both consumer and commercial use, SenseTech’s EPA approved ContraPest slows reproduction rates without killing animals and little to no risk of harming other species. Trials show rat populations in urban areas reduced by 64%. “There are multiple solutions already available that work to control rodent populations and more innovative solutions have developed over time,” notes Wheeler. “It’s time to end our overreliance on harmful SGARs.”

Rhode Island is far from the only state to take action against using SGARs. New Hampshire and Connecticut have introduced similar legislation, and some municipalities in Massachusetts have already banned it, including Arlington, incited by the death of a beloved Bald Eagle confirmed to be killed by SGAR poisoning last year. California was the first state to ban SGARs in 2020.

Audubon has made passing the bill a top priority, and recent hearings at the RI State House have been met with an enthusiastic response. Hearing input from residents and stakeholders, Wheeler and advocates are working to find solutions that benefit raptors and the community. Beck applies the One Health approach to their practice, which also rings true to Audubon’s advocacy. “It’s the perspective that the health of humans, other animals, and the environment are all interconnected,” they explain. “It’s part of our responsibility to be good stewards of the environment and of the other animals on this planet. Taking SGARs out of the picture is just one thing that we can do to make all beings a little bit safer.”

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Abbie Lahmers is the managing editor of Hey Rhody Media Co., as well as a freelance fiction editor/proofreader and nature writer who enjoys hiking and camping around New England. She can be reached at amlahmers@ gmail.com.–

Editor’s note: The legislative ban on second generation anti-coagulant rodenticides made tremendous progress in 2024, despite this being the first year it was introduced. Widespread consensus amongst the legislature gives us great hope that our continued involvement will push this legislation forward next year. We encourage you to stay engaged and informed on this vital issue.