Are bird repellant poison baits really bird repellant?

The short answer to this question is: BIRD REPELLANT BAITS ARE DEFINITELY NOT REPELLING BIRDS AS CLAIMED BY THE PROPONENTS OF 1080.

The following photographs prove the point.

These berries were fruiting in the identical locality to a 1080 poison carrot aerial drop in the Northern Kaimanawa range 2007. The following photo’s demonstrate the similarity between these berries and chunks of lethal 1080 baits. The green dye which is supposed to deter birds from taking the baits is not impregnated through the bait with which the diced carrots are coated and is no deterrent at all when the baits are broken up either through damage exiting the bucket, impact with trees during decent from the helicopter, or through being dropped partially chewed by passing animals.

This is a small chunk of poison carrot bait which is almost identical in size and colour to the berries on which birds feed and was in the same locality.

You can see here how this carrot bait has been chewed by an animal and discarded, exposing the orange colour.

The remnant colour coating on this bait is just visible only two days after the drop. Note the small red berries on the forest floor, to the left of the bait.

Compare the berry above with the small broken chunk of bait in the RH photograph.

This bag of baits was recovered from the drop area and clearly shows the very poor coverage of even these intact baits with supposedly green bird repellant dye.

The montage of photographs and news clippings below are the literal truth. Up to 60% of the KEA in 1080 drops in South Westland NZ were killed by 1080. This is only the tip of the iceberg.