DOC vs pests

Battle for our Birds is DOC's successful national pest control programme that protects our most vulnerable native species.

The programme uses biodegradable 1080 applied by air over large areas of rugged terrain to knock down rats, stoats and possums. Trapping and other ground-based pest control methods also play an important part. For example, a large trap network in the Murchison Mountains protects takahē from stoats.

Success from pest control in 2014

The Battle for our Birds programme successfully stopped rat and stoat plagues triggered by widespread forest seeding in 2014. This helped protect native species across large areas from Waitutu in Southland to Tongariro Forest in the central North Island.

Pest control in 2016

Widespread forest seeding this autumn will lead to another rapid rise in rat and stoats, putting our endangered native wildlife at further risk.
Planning for additional pest control is now complete and the sites for this year’s Battle for our Birds programme have been confirmed. Our field staff and scientists continue to monitor seed and pests levels and have decided exactly where to prioritise pest control to protect native species most at risk.

The infographic shows:

• 1080 is biodegradable, breaks down quickly in the environment and does not leave permanent residues in water, soil, plants or animals. The active component occurs naturally in many plants found in Australia, South America and Africa as a defence against browsing animals
• 4-6 baits are dropped in an area the size of a tennis court
• 10% of public conservation land will be treated with 1080 during this mast
• no traces of 1080 have been found in reticulated water supplies. Since 2008 more than 530 water samples from drinking water catchments and other water bodies have been analysed. Operations pose no risk to water supplies
• 550 kiwi have been monitored throughout 1080 operations since 1990
• no kiwi have died as a result of 1080 poisoning. 

The infographic shows:

25 million is a conservative estimate of the number of native birds killed by predators like possums, stoats and rats each year.
In winter 2014 DOC carried out 27 aerial pest control operations over 600,000 ha across the South Island.
Results from the 2014 pest control operation in the Dart valley:

• rat control leads to 89% nesting success for mohua
• seed falls in summer and rat numbers rise to threaten nesting birds and hijack resources in the forest
• rapid knock-down of rat numbers also reduces the threat of stoats and allows native birds to breed

What the predator plague cycle diagram shows:

• Summer: When beech seed flowers heavily, much seed is produced.
• Autumn: When seed is abundant, the rodent population increases rapidly.
• Winter: Stoats feed on abundant rodents.
• Spring: When the seed rots or germinates, plagues of rats turn to bird eggs and nestlings.
• Summer onwards: Stoat numbers explode and they also turn to birds for food.