A study points to poisoning as a key factor in the decline of the red kite in...

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A research developed by the Institute for  Research in Hunting Resources  IREC-CSIC of the Higher Council for Scientific Research CSIC together with the  University of Oviedo  and the Autonomous University of Madrid and in collaboration with the NGOs WWF-Spain and SEOBirdLife shows the relationship between the decline in breeding pairs of red kite Milvus milvus recorded in censuses over the last years and the poisoning of fauna recorded in official statistics in that same period. The work on this species listed in Spain as endangered is published in the journal  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  PNAS . Toxic substances such as illegally used poisons legally used pesticides veterinary drugs or metals such as lead from hunting ammunition pose a threat to biodiversity.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN considers poisoning to be one of the main threats to more than animal species worldwide including more than species of birds of prey and carnivores. The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN UAE Phone Number considers poisoning to be one of the main threats to more than animal species worldwide including more than species of birds of prey and carnivores. But the relationship between the poisoning of individuals and the decline of their populations has generally been established by combining poisoning data collected in the field with modeling and other methods to infer population changes.



Obtaining data in the field both on the situation of the populations and above all on the mortality of individuals and its causes particularly in large areas is complicated and limits the establishment of direct relationships such as the one shown in this work. The study includes the records of kites suspected of dying from poisoning of which more than were confirmed poisoned by the pesticide aldicarb and carbofuran compounds whose use is currently prohibited in the European Union. These results the researchers point out demonstrate the importance of the fight against poisoning.