** Reply to note from tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun, 10 Aug 1997 00:07:29 PDT


> M.L. Avery, M.A. Pavelka, D.L. Bergman, D.G. Decker, C.E. Knittle and G.M
> Linz found that Raven could be trained not to predate on California Least
> Tern eggs. They provided quail eggs treated with methiocarb, which made the
> Raven feel sick, but did not kill or hurt them. The eggs were provided at
> the tern nesting site before the terns laid, and at the edges of the colony
> after laying had started. The Raven stopped predation at this site, but
> continued at other sites. This measure had the positive side effect that the
> resident Ravens not only left the tern eggs alone, but still protected the
> site from other Ravens. Ravens had been shot in the past, which meant that
> an other pair moved in within a few days and also had to be shot. (Colonial
> Waterbirds 18)

Too cool. I wonder if this could be extrapolated to other types of predators at
other colonies?

- Jack


Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca