Anticoagulant Rodenticide Contamination of Terrestrial Birds of Prey from Western Canada: Patterns and Trends, 1988-2018.

ABSTRACT: As the dominant means for control of pest rodent populations globally, anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs), particularly the second-generation compounds (SGARs), have widely contaminated nontarget organisms. We present data on hepatic residues of ARs in 741 raptorial birds found dead or brought into rehabilitation centers in British Columbia, Canada, over a 30-year period from 1988 to 2018. Exposure varied by species, by proximity to residential areas, and over time, with at least one SGAR residue detected in 74% of individuals and multiple residues in 50% of individuals. By comparison, we detected first-generation compounds in <5% of the raptors. Highest rates of exposure were in barred owls (Strix varia), 96%, and great horned owls (Bubo virginianus), 81%, species with diverse diets, includ

SUBMITTER: Elliott JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9540899 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature