Wildlife

UK Barn Owl Rodenticide Monitoring

Monitoring of rodenticide contamination in barn owls and welfare implications for poisoned birds.

Key Facts

Second-generation anticoagulants including brodifacoum accumulate in raptor bodies
Post-mortem toxicology of barn owls provides population-level exposure data
Rodenticide poisoning causes slow death through internal haemorrhage
Alternatives to rodenticide including barn owl boxes provide natural rodent control
Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use advocates for safer pest control

Welfare Considerations

Rodenticide poisoning causes prolonged suffering through internal haemorrhage, and transition to barn owl-friendly pest management eliminates this entirely preventable welfare harm.

What You Can Do

Support the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use
Install barn owl boxes to provide natural rodent control as a rodenticide alternative
Advocate for stronger restrictions on second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides