Can birds be harmed by the rodenticide?
A limited number of birds are at risk, as there are few birds on the island. The project was planned for late fall so that there will be even fewer birds. Some omnivorous birds that overwinter on the island are likely to be exposed to the rodenticide, and we anticipate there will be some unintentional loss of grey-crowned rosy finches, snow buntings, rock ptarmigan and winter wrens. The refuge considers this an unfortunate but acceptable risk because these birds’ numbers will likely rebound, far beyond their current levels, once the predatory rats are gone. The populations of most breeding birds on the island are suppressed by rat predation. Populations of these species flourish on neighboring islands. More details can be found in the environmental assessment.
