Wild Barn Owl Welfare: Rodenticide Secondary Poisoning

Barn owls and other raptors are experiencing silent population declines from secondary rodenticide poisoning — accumulating lethal doses of rat poison through consuming poisoned rodents.

Key Facts

Studies find rodenticide residues in 80-90% of barn owls tested in the UK and other European countries
Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) like brodifacoum and bromadiolone are highly persistent in tissues
SGARs cause internal bleeding that is often fatal, either directly or by impairing ability to hunt effectively
Barn owls are particularly vulnerable because they are specialized small mammal predators in agricultural landscapes
Red kites, kestrels, buzzards, and other raptors are also commonly found with rodenticide residues
Many farm rodenticide applications are precautionary rather than in response to verified rodent problems
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches can control rodents with substantially less rodenticide use
Some countries are restricting SGAR use to professional applicators to reduce wildlife exposure

Welfare Considerations

Secondary anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning causes a prolonged and painful death through internal hemorrhage. Affected barn owls may show weakness, inability to fly, disorientation, and respiratory distress before death — suffering that may extend over days. The ecological irony is that barn owls, kestrels, and other raptors are themselves effective rodent controllers — poisoning them removes a natural pest management tool. Barn owl populations across agricultural landscapes are in decline across Europe and North America, with secondary rodenticide poisoning identified as a major contributing factor. Reducing unnecessary rodenticide use in agricultural settings is among the most actionable interventions for raptor welfare at the landscape scale.

What You Can Do

Install barn owl nest boxes on agricultural land to encourage natural rodent control
Advocate for rodenticide labeling and use restriction to reduce wildlife exposure
Use snap traps or electronic traps instead of rodenticide baits where possible
Support IPM approaches that minimize rodenticide use
Support Barn Owl Trust and similar organizations monitoring raptor welfare