use of raptor for pest control

8/8/2019 Use of Raptor for Pest Control

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Use of Barn Owls and Common Kestrels for Biological PestControl in Agriculture on Both Sides of the Jordan River:

Interdisciplinary project combining regional cooperation, conservation, farming, and education

A barn owl perched on a nest box

holding a recently caught rodent in the

fields of Kibbutz Sde-Eliyahu.

(Photo:Uria Shachak)

A barn owl from Kibbutz Sde-Eliyahu, promoting organic

farming while using a commercial sign as a hunting post of

rodents. (Photo: Uria Shachak)

Female kestrel holding a recently caught rat.

(Photo: Ronen Vaturi)

Kestrel nestling waiting their parents to supply dinner in the entrance of a

kestrel nesting box. (Photo: FLIP DE NOOYER.FOTO NATURA.FLPA)



Jordanian TeamDr. Sawfan Fauzi Al Hussein – Veterinary

Surgeon, Jordan

Mr. Baker Hassan Bara’kat – Agricultural

Engineer in the Jordan Valley, Jordan

Israeli TeamDr. Yossi Leshem – Director,

International Center for the Study

of Bird Migration, Tel Aviv

University and SPNI, IsraelMr. Shauli Aviel – Barn Owl

Project Leader, Kibbutz Sde

Eliyahu, Israel

Motti Charter- Kestrel expert,

PhD student, Tel Aviv University,

Israel

Mr. Assaf David – ECF, Translator and PhD

Student, Hebrew University, Israel

The project is built around the people to people activities through cooperation between Jordanians and Israelis

Background:

The Jordan Valley is world renowned as an area rich in human and natural history. This region, which

includes Israel and Jordan, has undergone a massive expansion of agriculture over the past 50 years.

Modern agricultural techniques have significantly increasing yields that have also resulted in significant

negative impacts to the environment such as decreased biodiversity and ecological imbalance. Modern

agricultural methods depend heavily on the use of chemicals for enriching poor soil and controlling pest plants and animals (herbicides/pesticides). Rodents constitute one of the most damaging groups of pest

animals within the Middle East with damage reaching up to 35% of certain crops such as wheat. In the

long-term, rodenticides are ineffective, problematic, costly, and have severe negative impacts on the

environment: pollute soils and water sources, damage ecosystems, and have secondary poisoning health

effects on wildlife and humans. The danger to wildlife is particularly poignant in this region being

located along a major bird migration route of global significance where it is estimated that over 500

million birds pass through twice a year. An new and innovative technique of using raptors (barn owls

and kestrels) as biological pest controllers of rodents has be implemented successful into modern

agriculture in Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu and later other location in Israel. This method has not only benefited

farmers, but also the neighboring citizens, and wildlife by reducing rodent damage without using deadly

pesticide. The goal of this project is to install a similar system in Jordan through cooperation and usingthe years of experiences gained by their Israeli neighbors.



Objectives:

1. Significant reduction in the quantity of rodents in the Jordanian agricultural fields.

2. Cooperation between Jordanian and Israeli agriculturists, researchers and educators, “People to

People” activities.

3. Reduction in the use of pesticides in the agricultural fields.

The 2005-2006 breeding seasons will be used as a pilot year for the project to examine the

cooperation and its implementation with the Jordanian farmers with hope to continue and

enlarge the project in the years to come. We see this project as a win win situation for

Jordanians, Israelis, and Wildlife.

Jordanian farmers use a telescope in one of the birding activitiesJordanian look on as Israeli project

leader, Shaul Aviel check a barn owl nest

box

Phase 1: Need to be completed before the first meeting

a) Building 23 nesting boxes (15 for Barn Owl, 8 for Kestrel): The nest boxes need to be

built as soon as possible in order that they will be erected in Jordan early this breeding

season to give the barn owls and kestrels enough time to find them and later nest in

them. If the boxes are erected too late we will miss this nesting seasons since the

raptors will not nest in them. The boxes and poles will be ready to be sent within twoweeks. Building the boxes and receiving the proper permits to bring to Jordan

are keys to the projects success at its initial stage.

b) Determine who will be the Jordanian partners:

• Researcher- The Jordanian researcher should join all meeting and assist in

picking the nest boxes location and after their erection. A researcher from Jordan,

BirdLife International or some other academic institution will be selected to

accompany the project with a research study (of the rodent, Barn Owl and Kestrel

populations etc.). Israelis will give academic guidance so that the Jordanian researcher

will be able to independently lead the research during the first season. He will beresponsible for monitoring boxes, collecting pellets and later dissecting them.



• Farmers- It is vital that Jordanian farmers that will participate in the project

will be selected and agree to participate in the project by first meeting.

• Jordan School- In parallel with agricultural and research activities, an

educational and awareness program will be undertaken in the farming community as

well as in the Jordanian schools. The Kfar Ruppin School (Yariv the Principal is

already enthusiastic) has already shown interest and a partner school in Jordan needs

to be selected. A poster written in Arabic will be produced and handed out to the

school children and farmers.

Posters written in Arabic will be made and handed out to Jordanian farmers and children

Phase 2: Meetings

a) First Meeting: Mid December in Jordan

Main goal: Participants will get to know one and other, see the study site, and determine

where the nest boxes will be erected. 2000 dunams comprising two lots will be located in

the area east of the Jordan River opposite the Beit She’an Valley; preference will begiven to landowners from the team we met in the past and are willing to participate in the

project. With the assistance of the Jordanian farmers locations for the nest boxes will be

selected and marked on a map of the farm land (Jordanians should bring a map to the first

meeting). If possible, potential GPS coordinates of the nest sites will taken and later

placed on maps along with the locations of the Israeli boxes on the other side of the

border.

A discussion will take place to determine how to move forward with the educational

campaign. The subject is of high importance especially as Moslems relate negatively to

the Barn Owl, since they believe that owls bring bad luck. Additionally, the opposite may

b a problem with kestrels, which are small falcons that people like to raise as pets and usein falconry. Such prejudices of the owl can be changed by acquaintance with the positive



contributions of the owls to farmers. Our hope is that farmers will protect their new

acquired natural resource from people that will fear (barn owls) and want raise them

(kestrels). Disturbances to breeding pairs could results in the pairs leaving and not

returning to re- nest in the future. The farmers will learn that by protecting the raptors

they will receive direct benefits of reduced rodent damage.

Second Meeting: End December/ beginning of January in Jordan

Main goal: 15 nesting boxes for Barn Owls and 8 for Common Kestrels will be erected in

the project area in designated location that were defined during the first meeting. The

pole of the boxes is 3.5 meter high and need to be placed in the ground 1 meter so that

the nest box will be 2.5 m. above the ground. During the erecting of the boxes, the

Jordanian researcher will learn from his Israeli counterpart’s methods of monitoring

hunting kestrels and barn owls. Additionally a small survey will of hunting kestrels will

be conducted to determine the size of the local population.

32 page color manuals written in Arabic and Hebrew on how to use the

raptors in biological pest control will be handed out to the farmers.

Third Meeting: February/ March in Israel

Main goal: To learn about the success of the project in Israel and technical aspects of box

maintenance. During this day we will take field trips in Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu and

neighboring farms to demonstrate the size of the pest control project in Israel and the

potential of a similar project in Jordan.

Lectures on barn owls, kestrels, and pellet dissection will be given. Pellets are the

undigested portions of prey such as hair, bones and feathers that form a small round

pellet that are regurgitated by the raptors around the nest. Pellet dissection is a tool used

by researcher to determine the prey of raptors and will provide to the farmers with an

accurate display of how the barn owls and kestrels assist them. The Jordanian researcher

will collect and dissect pellets in order to learn not only about the raptors diet but also onthe rodent populations. The raptors are generalist and their diet represents the rodents in



the study site. In order to combat the rodents it is important to learn as much as we can

about their biology.

Farmers from the Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu will participate in the discussions and lectures.

Additionally, participants will visit the biological pest control factory, Bio Bee to learn

more about their activities.

The principal of the Kfar Ruppin School will come to discuss how to proceed with the

educational aspects. A Pen pal program through using email or a forum in the website of

the International Center for the Study of Birds Migration: www.birds.org.il, will be set up.

Fourth meeting: April in Jordan.

Main goals: Nest boxes will be checked for the first time together with the farmers and

researchers. The Jordanian researcher will discuss his progress and describe the activity

of nesting/ hunting kestrel and barn owls. A trip will be taken to the local school were a

lecture will be given to the school children. A stuffed kestrel and barn owls along withmovies will be shown to excite the children about their new neighbors.

Fifth meeting: August

Main goals: Summary of the project successes, failures, and future goals will be

discussed. The Jordanian researcher will present his findings. Special interest will be

given to the educational campaign to determine if the residents accepted the barn owls.

A new working plan will be drawn for the next year with hope to continue the project.

use of raptor for pest control

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