for those of you who read and enjoyed the book, "red-tails in
love," i found this message yesterday, telling the fate of
these (and other central park) birds.

regards,

Deborah Wisti-Peterson email:nyneve at u.washington.edu
Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, USA
Visit me on the web: http://students.washington.edu/~nyneve/
<><><>Graduate School: it's not just a job, it's an indenture!<><><>


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 23:09:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: ProMED-mail
Subject: PRO/AH> Poisonings, birds - USA (New York City)


POISONINGS, BIRDS - USA (NEW YORK CITY)
***************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.healthnet.org/programs/promed.html>

Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 11:59:32 -0400
From: Marjorie P. Pollack <pollackmp at mindspring.com>
Source: APBNEWS.com 12 Aug, 1999 (edited)


New York City officials and nature lovers want to know who is trying to
kill the birds of Central Park. Since Tuesday, 57 birds, including pigeons,
sparrows, 2 ducks and a grackle, have been found dead -- the victims of
poisoning, officials said.

Parks officials say they believe whoever dropped bread crumbs and birdseed
laced with toxic chemicals in the park this week may be the same person who
left poisoned feed in the park on 4 other occasions over the past 2 years.

At risk are not only the common pigeons and sparrows, but also the hawks
that feed on them, along with the park's other wildlife, including
squirrels, chipmunks and raccoons. Officials are warning people with dogs
and small children to keep them away from any food on the ground.

Killing ducks and the grackle would be a violation of the Federal Migratory
Bird Act. "We are disgusted by it," said James Warner, a spokesman for the
city Parks Department. "It's an insult and a crime."

It is not the first time someone has spread poisoned food in Central Park.
The Parks Department said a total of about 100 birds were found poisoned on
4 occasions since August 1997. In earlier incidents, birds were killed with
carbofuron, an illegal and highly toxic substance that causes a painful,
violent death.

Among the victims in past incidents were raptors, or birds of prey, which
frequent the park and feed on pigeons. In 1997 a peregrine falcon -- once
nearly extinct because of the widespread use of the pesticide DDT, was
found poisoned. The same year, a red-tailed hawk, whose romantic exploits
were chronicled in the popular book, Red Tails in Love, was found dead on a
ledge at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The state Environmental Conservation Lab in Albany is conducting tests on
the birds, bread crumbs and seed to determine what killed the latest
victims. The results are expected within a week, officials said.

--
ProMED-mail