Use of raptors to prevent wild bird and rodent intrusion into fresh produce field

Project description: Wild animals, such as birds and rodents, carry foodborne pathogens that may be a threat to fresh produce crops. This project will determine if the use of falconry is an efficient and cost effective natural way to deter birds and control rodents in fresh produce fields. Objectives: This project aims to 1) Determine if the use of falconry at critical times in the growing season (post-sprouting and pre-harvest) decreases fresh produce crop loss due to contamination of crops from wild bird intrusion; 2) Establish wild native owl and kestrel programs that promote site fidelity to decrease rodent populations near fresh produce fields; and 3) Determine if the use of falconry on a large scale can be a cost effective approach to bird and rodent deterrence compared with traditional methods. Methods: Falconers will fly captive-bred predatory birds from sunrise to sunset to deter birds, and we will control rodent populations by attracting native owls and kestrels to fresh produce fields using nest boxes. We will also release native rehabilitated birds in agricultural areas. We will measure the success of falconry using bird counts, pre- and post-rodent trapping, and documentation of food safety risks in fields with and without falconry.

Wild animals carry foodborne pathogens that may be a threat to fresh produce crops [1, 2]. Rodents are documented carriers of E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter, and can amplify the prevalence of these in the environment [3, 4]. Birds are another important risk to food safety since they can travel long distances carrying foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella and E. coli, from sources to destinations that may include agricultural areas [4-8]. Current wildlife control measures include sound and visual scare tactics, perception altering chemicals, and even unmanned aerial vehicles. None are 100 percent effective at preventing animal intrusion so growers sometimes turn to lethal methods. These techniques are in direct contrast to the public’s call for wildlife stewardship [9] and the Food Safety Modernization Act’s support of co-management techniques. The use of falconry can be a cost effective, highly successful way to deter birds and control rodents in agricultural settings. In fact, it is already in use for some produce commodities, such as wine grapes [10- 12]. The use of trained birds and native wild owls can provide protection from nuisance animals over significantly larger areas than traditional methods. They do not require the setup required for traditional bird deterrents, or the upkeep of rodent traps. The use of falconry can eliminate the need for rodent control using poison, and can diminish or eliminate the need for lethal traps. In addition, falconry and the use of nest boxes to manage and deter wildlife are viewed by the public more positively than traditional methods [13]. This project aims to 1) Determine if the use of falconry at critical times in the growing season (post- sprouting and pre-harvest) decreases fresh produce crop loss due to contamination of crops from wild bird intrusion; 2) Establish wild native owl and kestrel programs that promote site fidelity to decrease rodent populations near fresh produce fields; and 3) Determine if the use of falconry on a large scale can be a cost-effective approach to bird and rodent deterrence compared with traditional methods. The use of falconry to protect the crops in our multi-billion dollar fresh produce industry could have important impacts on our growers, consumers, and the environment. Fresh produce growers are not only charged with providing safe clean food to our communities all over the country, but they are stewards of their land and the fragile desert environment where they grow our food. They sometimes must take drastic measures to keep crops safe from wildlife, using poisons and other lethal measures as a last resort. The use of falconry will eliminate the need for these, and instead will use the natural instincts of animals to prevent bird and rodent intrusion into fresh produce fields. This will result in fewer negative impacts to the environment, fewer person hours deterring animals through trap placement and cleanup, fewer animal intrusions, and therefore, less risk of foodborne pathogen contamination to crops.

1. Determine if the use of falconry at critical times in the growing season (post-sprouting and pre-harvest) decreases fresh produce crop loss due to food safety hazards from wild bird intrusion. 

2. Establish wild native owl and kestrel programs that promote site fidelity (including rehabilitated released native owls and kestrels) to decrease rodent populations near fresh produce fields, thereby reducing food safety risks related to rodent intrusion. 

3. Determine if the use of falconry is a cost-effective approach to bird and rodent deterrence compared with traditional methods.

Does falconry work? It depends! If it is used as one tool in our giant toolbox of techniques, and you have a well trained group of people implementing those techniques, then yes, falconry can be very successful. If you run the project data by season, I believe that’s exactly what you will see noting that we started using falconry in combination with other methods in the second season. However, I believe that the likelihood that any grower or group of neighboring growers will have a team consisting of an expert drone pilot with knowledge of bird behavior, a Master Falconer who knows how to fly the appropriate birds, and support staff that are fully trained and outfitted with screamers, bangers, ATVs, and high level communication is extremely unlikely. Another aspect of implementing falconry that is challenging to most growers is the cost. Experienced falconers can charge $1000 per day of work. If you need falconers in your field for 14 days at the start and end of the season plus a few days in the middle, and you need more than one falconer because you have a lot of land, then your bill could easily climb to $100,000 for one season. If you will save $500,000 worth of crops, then it might be worth it, but to be completely effective, you will need the entire team with all of the technology and equipment described earlier. Most fresh produce growers would have a hard time justifying that cost.