- Wild Justice, a conservation campaign group, has published a report alleging that birds of prey in England are increasingly exposed to rodenticides, despite a government scheme introduced in 2015 to address the issue.
- The report highlights that anticoagulant rodenticides are now commonly found in the livers of deceased Red Kites and Buzzards, with concentrations frequently reaching high levels.
- Between 2020 and 2022, almost 75% of Buzzards tested showed rodenticide exposure, despite these poisons being legally restricted to use around buildings. Wild Justice argues that these findings show misuse of rodenticides and calls for stricter regulations and oversight.
A report by Wild Justice reveals that most tested Red Kites and Buzzards now have traces of rodenticide in their livers, often at dangerous levels.
The findings, part of Wild Justice’s ‘Collateral Damage’ report, are based on data obtained via Freedom of Information requests and include results from government tests of 366 Buzzards and 173 Red Kites submitted to the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS) in England between 2005 and 2022. Recently, nearly all tested raptors have shown evidence of exposure to rat poison.
Rat poisons, also known as Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs), are widely used in agriculture, game-keeping, and pest control. SGARs can be fatal to non-target animals that consume poisoned rats, impacting the entire food chain, including scavengers like Buzzards and Red Kites.
In 2012, the UK Health and Safety Executive advised restricting outdoor use of SGARs, given the risk of secondary poisoning to wildlife. Wild Justice claims that the government ignored these recommendations and continued to allow outdoor SGAR use, expanding permissions to include highly toxic poisons like Brodifacoum.
Under the Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme (RSS), launched in 2015, professional users were expected to reduce wildlife exposure to SGARs through safer pest control methods. However, Wild Justice’s findings suggest the scheme has failed to reduce rodenticide exposure.
Comparing pre- and post-RSS data, Wild Justice reports that, between 2005 and 2010, over half of tested Buzzards had no rodenticide traces. But by 2020-2022, more than 90% contained rodenticides in their livers.
The number of birds with very high levels of poison has also increased. In Buzzards tested between 2005 and 2010, fewer than 2% contained over 0.3mg/kg of SGAR poison; this rose to nearly a quarter by 2020-2022.
For Red Kites, the figures are even more stark. From 2005-2010, 15% of Red Kites had high rodenticide levels, but between 2020 and 2022, two-thirds exceeded 0.3mg/kg, with almost 90% of tested birds containing very high poison levels.
Rodenticides remain accessible for both industrial and home use. Many Buzzards were exposed to multiple poisons, with some testing positive for up to four rodenticides. Wild Justice believes this reflects illegal usage away from buildings, and is calling for stronger regulatory action.
Buzzards and Red Kites are indicators of broader ecological impacts affecting other scavengers and predators, such as Kestrels and Barn Owls. Wild Justice is advocating for immediate regulatory changes to limit rodenticide use for the benefit of wildlife.
A Wild Justice spokesperson remarked: “The Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme is a failed scheme, which the government should recognise. It is ridiculous that such dangerous, hazardous substances are escaping stricter regulation, especially when the evidence shows they are poisoning wildlife on a widespread scale, and even being used deliberately and illegally to do so. Our report reveals just the tip of the iceberg – such high levels of these poisons being found in birds of prey should be ringing alarm bells.”
