How you can help owls and other birds of prey.
Owls, kites and other birds of prey are dying from eating rats and mice that have ingested Second Generation rodent poisons.
These household products – including Talon, Fast Action RatSak and The Big Cheese Fast Action brand rat and mice bait – have been banned from general public sale in the US, Canada and EU, but are available to purchase from supermarkets and retailers throughout Australia.
There are lots of ways to minimise your need for rodenticides. Which of these bird-friendly changes can you commit to?
Make your house and garden less friendly for rodents:
seal potential roof/wall cavity access points that rodents might be using
pick up any fallen fruit,
ensure excess pet food isn’t accessible,
rodent-proof chook pens and aviaries,
replace rat-friendly palms with owl-friendly natives, and
tidy up garden waste and limit access to compost heaps
Encourage native predators:
plant native trees, and
install nest boxes for owls to breed in.
Reduce dependence on poison baits:
consider other, non-poison pest control, like snap traps,
only put out baits when you actually need to,
read the labels on any poisons you buy and make the change to first generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs) or other alternatives. Look for active ingredients like Warfarin (Ratsak Double-strength) and Coumatetralyl (Racumin) or natural constituents like Sodium Chloride (Ratsak Natural). You can see a list of rodenticide products available in Australia here.
leave second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) on the shelf.
To learn more about bird-friendly rodent control, download this great brochure developed by BirdLife Western Australia.
Encourage others to join you:
Please asks your friends, family and neighbours to join the campaign
If you haven’t already, sign our petition to get SGARs out of Bunnings
Download and print your Owl Friendly Garden poster and put it in your front window or fence to show that your garden is poison free and a safe haven for birds.