In a huge victory for birds and other wildlife, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation took action to limit the use of a certain kind of rodent poison that has been known to also harm a wide variety of non-targeted birds and other wildlife. The rodenticides in question, known as anticoagulant rodenticides, build up in the bodies of target species and are then transferred to birds and other wildlife that have the misfortune of eating the rodents. Raptors and scavenger birds have been particularly affected. In a letter to the department last October, Audubon California and 17 local Audubon chapters supported the new regulation. The letter cited several bird species that have been documented to have suffered from the use of these poisons:

• American Kestrel
• Barn Owl
• Burrowing Owl
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Common Crow
• Golden Eagle Heerman’s
• Great-horned Owl
• Common Raven
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Rock Dove
• Western Screech Owl
• Northern Spotted Owl
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Swainson’s Hawk
• Wild Turkey
• Turkey Vulture