BELLARINE Landcare is awaiting test results that will identify the cause of death of 10 raptors recently found in the region.<\/p>\n
Facilitator Sophie Small said people were reporting a lot of small raptors dying locally and all along the coast on the Mornington Peninsula and down to Port Fairy, but that authorities didn\u2019t know why.<\/p>\n
\u201cBellarine Landcare has sent 10 raptors to Wildlife Health Surveillance, part of Melbourne University Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Science in Werribee.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are doing a necropsy to look at physiological causes of death, such as malnourishment and internal bleeding.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe liver will be sent off to be tested for toxicology.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should receive the results in two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Small said species collected were barn owls (7), nankeen kestrels (4), black shouldered kites (2) and boobooks (1).<\/p>\n
Other people have also found tawny frog nouths.<\/p>\n
Ms Small said Bellarine Landcare had been liaising with Michael Lohr from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, who was researching the impacts of rodenticides on boobook owls around Perth.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichael\u2019s research suggests that second generation, single-use rodenticides in the form of rat bait may be playing a part in the mortality, particular in peri-urban areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe tested 70 boobook owls and found 70 per cent of them had rodenticides in their systems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Small said there were many more Barn Owls present locally at the moment and that they were well-known for their boom and bust cycles.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are theorising that some birds have arrived here from the inland areas escaping drought conditions, and are starving.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe disease is also playing a part.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Small said Bellarine Landcare encouraged people to undertake revegetation of the Bellarine. \u201cWe sell indigenous plants through our great little nursery in association with the Bellarine Secondary College in Drysdale.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe encourage landholders to protect ancient trees so vital to wildlife, and we have nest boxes for sale.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are available to come out and advise landholders about revegetation of their properties.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven people with suburban house blocks can be doing so much to add indigenous plants to their gardens and create wildlife attracting habitat.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BELLARINE Landcare is awaiting test results that will identify the cause of death of 10 raptors recently found in the region. Facilitator Sophie Small said people were reporting a lot of small raptors dying locally and all along the coast on the Mornington Peninsula and down to Port Fairy, but that authorities didn\u2019t know why. […]<\/p>\n