Potential hazards of DRC-1339 treated rice to non-target birds when used at roost staging areas in Louisiana to reduce local populations of depredating blackbirds

Hazards of DRC-1339 treated brown rice to non-target birds were assessed during an operational baiting program near Point Blue, Louisiana, USA. The predominant non-target birds using DRC-1339 bait sites and surrounding habitat were savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis), mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), killdeers (Charadrius vociferus), and unidentified sparrows (Fringillidae). Systematic searches of DRC-1339 bait sites and adjacent habitat for non-target dead or affected birds produced 1 northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). There was no mortality of potential non-target species, savannah sparrows, white-crown sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys), field sparrows (Spizella pusilla), song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) and chipping sparrows (Spizella passerina) that were held in captivity and offered only 2% DRC-1339 treated brown rice diluted 1 : 27 with untreated brown rice for 1 and 12 h each day for 5 days. There was no hazard of DRC-1339 to most non-target species using the test areas.