Raptors - wedgetail eagle and black-shouldered kite

We are worried about the effect of the mouse plague on Australia's wildlife, with people in both urban and rural commercial settings increasingly using the so-called 'second generation' rodenticides. First generation rodenticides are dangerous enough, but at least they used plain old anticoagulants like warfarin and coumateralyl, which break down pretty quickly and do not persist long in the food chain. Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) use brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone and difenacoum which all have long half-lives and are highly persistent in biological tissue, creating the issue of biomagnification. This occurs because the chemicals accumulate and persist in the liver of the rodent, not only killing the rodent, but entering the food chain when the rodent is eaten by predators (e.g. owls, hawks, eagles, reptiles, frogs, marsupial predators and your dog) or scavengers (critters such as quolls and Tasmanian devils, who are prepared to scavenge on dead animals). As each predator must eat many prey animals to survive, the small anticoagulant dose from each rodent it eats accumulates over time in the predator's liver until it reaches a lethal concentration. Consequently, the concentration of the anticoagulant in the tissues of animals increases at successively higher levels in a food chain. Exposure and poisoning of non-target organisms by SGARs at multiple trophic levels has been frequently documented. The bottom line - if you choose to use rodent baits, please choose carefully. Examine the packaging and avoid products using brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone or difenacoum.

[@berthendrikx]

Nice video, thanks.

[@GubanaNatureRefuge]

Hello Bert, thank you for your support and encouragement. I hope you are taking care and doing well

[@Liloldliz]

thanks for the information about the rodenticides. i wish more people understood about this. well done capturing this beautiful footage.

[@deborahpetith8710]

What awesome birds of prey, I love our native birds.

[@GubanaNatureRefuge]

Hello Deborah, thank you for your support. Have a marvellous week

[@caitoreills]

Gorgeous birds - thank you for sharing! 😊

[@GubanaNatureRefuge]

Hello Cait O, thank you for watching and for taking the time to leave a kind and encouraging comment. Take care and have a marvellous week

[@caitoreills]

@@GubanaNatureRefuge Thanks, you too!

[@austalien1]

got to love those raptors

[@GubanaNatureRefuge]

Hello Australien, agreed!! Take care and have a marvellous week

[@chloeew4627]

Love nature,so real

[@GubanaNatureRefuge]

Hello Sue, thank you for watching and taking the time to share your thoughts. Stay safe.

[@klyrebird]

Thanks for this. Been watching bald eagles live stream. Nice to see a wedgie. Love the look of a black shouldered kite. Stay safe wildlife.

[@GubanaNatureRefuge]

Hello Kim, thank you for watching and taking the time to share your thoughts. I hope you are having a lovely week