Non-Target Hazard Assessment of Using DRC-1339 Avicide to Manage Blackbirds in Sunflower

Authors

John D. Eisemann, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
George M. Linz, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
John J. Johnston, APHIS/WS/National Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Department of AgricultureFollow

Date of this Version

January 2001

Abstract

Terrestrial hazard assessments were conducted for the spring blackbird baiting program to protect sunflower crops. Risk Assessment methodology proposed by the Ecological Committee on FIFRA Risk Assessment Methods (ECOFRAM) and the method currently used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (LD₅₀s/ft²) were compared for their predictive strengths and for the ease of adapting the assessment to site specific conditions. While the ECOFRAM and LD₅₀s/ft² methods identified the same groups of organisms as being at risk, the flexibility of the ECOFRAM methodology allowed more latitude in adapting the assessment to unique behaviors of individual species. These risk assessment approaches indicate that blackbird baiting with DRC-1339 presents acute hazards to select nontarget birds like western meadowlarks and mourning doves but few hazards to most mammals or small granivorous birds like sparrows and finches. However, field experiments indicate that the mitigation measures currently employed in the baiting program, minimize the nontarget hazards.