Barn owls and other raptors are dying from rodenticides used to control rats and mice — a preventable form of secondary poisoning that decimates raptor populations.
Barn owls are sentinel species for rodenticide contamination in the environment. The high prevalence of SGAR residues in barn owl livers demonstrates the scale of secondary poisoning occurring across agricultural and urban landscapes. Affected owls suffer from internal hemorrhage, impaired clotting, and a slow, painful death. This suffering extends to all raptor species that consume rodents — including red kites, buzzards, and kestrels. The cruel irony is that raptors are among the most effective natural pest controllers, and killing them with rodenticides removes a key check on rodent populations. Promoting raptor habitat (barn owl boxes, rough grassland) while eliminating SGAR use creates a sustainable, humane pest management system.