Recent News and Events
(Follow links to recent news items)
Australia withdraws all monocrotophos registrations ...
Background
The Swainson=s hawk (Buteo swainsoni) is a neotropical migrant that spends northern summers in western North America and austral summers on the Pampas region of Argentina. Its annual migration can span over 20,000 km / year.
Nearly 6,000 Swainson=s hawks died on the Pampas from 1995 to 1996 due primarily to exposure to the organophosphorus insecticide, monocrotophos, which was used to control grasshopper infestations. This incident is unrivaled in recent history due to the large numbers of animals affected and the speed with which international interests responded.
Researchers from Argentina and the US were quickly joined by academic, government, non-government and chemical industry representatives from Argentina, the U.S., Switzerland and Canada in an international effort to avert recurrence of the deaths. Monocrotophos use restrictions, voluntary withdrawal of monocrotophos in the hawk=s range, and television, radio, and popular press information campaigns were initiated prior to the 1996-1997 summer. Cooperative training programs prepared both field and laboratory personnel to handle further incidents. These actions combined with favorable weather conditions to decrease monocrotophos use on the Pampas and hold mortalities to 24 hawks.
This site details the incidents, the responses and their effectiveness, and where efforts are now focused to prevent similar events in the future.
Incidents in Argentina
For details on the actual incidents and early responses by concerned parties, see the article by DiSilvestro that broke the story in 1996.
Monocrotophos
An organophosphate insecticide, monocrotophos is one of the most avian toxic pesticides known. Since its development and introduction in 1964, documented avian mortalities due to monocrotophos number well over 100,000. Highly publicized deaths of over 5000 Swainson's Hawks in Argentina during the late 1990s brought attention to the fact that, in spite of its toxicity, monocrotophos is still one of the most heavily used pesticides in the world.
International Monocrotophos Risk Assessment
An international risk assessment of monocrotophos is in preparation and should be available in March 2000. Watch here for announcements.
Issues and their Resolution -
International Perspectives of Individuals who Worked Together to Protect the Swainson's HawkWorking from an independent perspective, Les Line, noted wildlife author and editor of Audubon magazine for 25 years, is compiling the reflections of many of the participants in the Swainson's hawk protection efforts. This article, expected in March 2000, attempts to provide ideas and motivation for others who might find themselves faced with issues of wildlife impacts due to pesticides.
Hooper, M.J., P. Mineau, M.E. Zaccagnini, G.W. Winegrad, B. Woodbridge. 1999. Monocrotophos and the Swainson’s Hawk. Pesticide Outlook 10(3):97-102.
Canavelli, S.B.; Zaccagnini, M.E. (1996). Mortandad de Aguilucho langostero (Buteo swainsoni) en la region Pampeana: Primera aproximacion al problema. Argentine Technical Government Report (INTA) 5/96. 52pp.
Di Silvestro, R. (1996). Poison in the Pampas: What’s killing the Swainson’s hawk? International Wildlife 26(3), 38-43.
England, A.S., Bechard, M.J.; Houston, C.S. (1997). Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni). In: The Birds of North America, No. 265 (A. Pool and G. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and the American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, DC.
Goldstein, M.I. (1997). Toxicological Assessment of a Neotropical Migrant on its Non-breeding Grounds: Case Study of the Swainson’s Hawk in Argentina. M.Sc. thesis. Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina.
Goldstein, M.I., Woodbridge, B.; Zaccagnini, M.E. Canavelli, S.B.; Lanussé, A. (1996). An assessment of mortality of Swainson’s hawks on wintering grounds in Argentina. Journal of Raptor Research 30(2), 106-107.
Goldstein, M.I., T.E. Lacher, Jr., B. Woodbridge, M.J. Bechard, S.B. Canavelli, M.E. Zaccagnini, G.P. Cobb, R. Tribolet and M.J. Hooper. 1999. Monocrotophos-induced mass mortality of Swainson’s hawks in Argentina, 1995-1996. Ecotoxicology 8(3):201-214
Goldstein, M.I., T.E. Lacher, Jr., M.E. Zaccagnini and M.J. Hooper. 1999. Monitoring and assessment of Swainson’s hawks in Argentina following restrictions on monocrotophos use, 1996-1997. Ecotoxicology 8(3):215-224.
Henny, C.J., P. Mineau, J.E. Elliott and B. Woodbridge. 1998. Raptor poisonings and current insecticide use: what do isolated kill reports mean to populations? In: Adams, N. & Slotow, R. (Eds.), Proc. 22 Int. Ornithol. Congr. University of Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Jaramillo, A.P. (1993). Wintering Swainson’s hawks in Argentina: Food and age segregation. Condor 95, 475-479.
Krapovickas, S. and Lyons de Perez, J.A. 1997. Swainson’s hawk in Argentina: International Crisis and Cooperation. World Birdwatch 19(4), 12-15.
Line, L. (1996). Lethal Migration. Audubon 98(5):50.
Mendelssohn, H.; Paz, U. (1977). Mass mortality of birds of prey caused by azodrin, an organophosphorous insecticide. Biological Conservation 11, 163-169.
Mineau, P. 1996. An assessment of the factors which contributed to the recent pesticide kills of Swainson's Hawks in the Argentine Pampas and recommendations to prevent a re-occurrence. Internet reference: gopher://gopher.igc.apc.org:2998/0PESTIS/r.926566061.23489.1
Stevenson, H.M. (1972). Florida Region Report. American Birds 26:592-596.
Voss, G.; Schätzle, P. (1994). Special Forward. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 139:xi-xii.
Wiemeyer, S.N.; Sparling, D.W. (1991). Acute toxicity of four anticholinesterase insecticides to American kestrels, eastern screech owls and northern bobwhites. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 10, 1139-1148.
White, C.M., Boyce, D.A.; Straneck, R. (1989). Observations on Buteo swainsoni in Argentina, 1984, with comments on food, habitat alteration and agricultural chemicals. In: B. U. Meyburg and R. D. Chancellor (Eds.) Raptors in the Modern World. Berlin, Germany.
Woodbridge, B.; Finley, K.K.; Seager, S.T. (1995). An investigation of the Swainson’s hawk in Argentina. Journal of Raptor Research 29, 202-204.
Di Silvestro, R. (1996). Poison in the Pampas: What’s killing the Swainson’s hawk? International Wildlife 26(3), 38-43.
This is the first popular magazine article to break the story of the events in Argentina. Reproduced here without photographs but with full text.USDA Forest Service http://sv0505.r5.fs.fed.us/hawk/html/fs_programs.html
This site details the natural history of the Swainon's hawk and the efforts of raptor biologist, Brian Woodbridge of the Klamath National Forest. His preliminary efforts to document the winter range of Swainson's hawks led to the discovery of a 700 hawk mortality incident.______________________________________