Distribute poison bait for predator control using dispensers

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

40%
Certainty

25%
Harms

not assessed

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

If bait is easily visible, birds may be more likely to feed on it opportunistically. Therefore providing it in dispensers, which partially hide bait or make it difficult for non-target species to access it, may reduce incidental mortality of non-target species.

Study locations

Key messages

A controlled study in New Zealand found that survival of South Island robins Petroica australis australis was higher when brodifacoum was dispensed from bait feeders compared to where bait was scattered.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A controlled study in three southern beech Nothofagus stands on South Island, New Zealand between August and November 1996 (Brown 1997) found that survival of South Island robins Petroica australis australis during predator removal operations was higher when brodifacoum was dispensed from bait feeders than in a site where 3 kg/ha poison was scattered and left exposed on the forest floor (29/30 birds surviving, 97% vs. 12/23 birds surviving, 52%). Survival in a control site, with no poisoning, was higher than in the broadcast site but not significantly different from the bait feeder site (18/21 birds surviving, 86%). Feeders were designed to allow black rats Rattus rattus and house mice Mus musculus to enter and retrieve baits, but not brush-tailed possums Trichosurus vulpecula.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Brown K.P. (1997) Impact of brodifacoum poisoning operations on South Island robins Petroica australis australis in a New Zealand Nothofagus forest. Bird Conservation International, 7, 399-407.

Please cite as:

Williams, D.R., Child, M.F., Dicks, L.V., Ockendon, N., Pople, R.G., Showler, D.A., Walsh, J.C., zu Ermgassen, E.K.H.J. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Bird Conservation. Pages 137-281 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Use repellents on baits for predator control Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	2	Synopsis Link
Use coloured baits to reduce accidental mortality during predator control Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	3	Synopsis Link
Distribute poison bait for predator control using dispensers Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link