The potential of fenthion to act as a secondary poisoning hazard to birds of prey was investigated using American kestrels (Falco sparverius) and house sparrows (Passer domesticus) as a representative model of a naturally occurring predator-prey interaction. Kestrels were presented with live sparrows previously exposed to perches containing Rid-A-Bird 1100$ sp circler$ solution (Rid-A-Bird, Inc., Muscatine, IA), 11% fenthion active ingredient, under simulated field conditions. All 14 kestrels tested died following ingestion of fenthion-exposed sparrows. Decreased brain cholinesterase activity and residue analyses of kestrel gastro-intestinal samples confirmed secondary fenthion poisoning. / Prey selection trials were conducted in the laboratory to determine the response of kestrels to a mixed flock of contaminated and uncontaminated sparrows. Kestrels captured fenthion-exposed prey significantly more often (12 out of 15 trials) than normal, unexposed prey. / These results suggest that avian predators and scavengers in the wild are at risk from contact with fenthion-exposed prey in areas where Rid-A-Bird perches are in use.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.59268 |
| Date | January 1990 |
| Creators | Hunt, Katherine A. (Katherine Anna) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Renewable Resources.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001070621, proquestno: AAIMM63464, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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