The Return of Minerva's Owl

Pesticides have inadvertently killed birds of prey. But in Israel, these unintended victims have become the solution

Rodenticides are meant to kill rodents that threaten crops. But there is an unintended consequence in their use: Countless birds of prey -- many of them endangered species -- have died after eating rodents that have ingested these toxic chemicals.

"Many pesticides linked to bird deaths are still widespread in use, especially in developing countries," according to the 2008 BirdLife International report "State of the World's Birds: Indicators for Our Changing World."

But according to a recent BBC article, conservationists and farmers in Israel have found a sustainable solution that has been quite effective and 100% natural: Instead of spraying their crops, farmers have been installing nest boxes for barn owls and kestrels that hunt down the rodents. The kestrels hunt during the day while the owls hunt at night, providing a natural, round-the-clock rodent control system.

"Many farmers think that chemicals are their only option. They use very large amounts of them - spraying them onto their fields from planes," said Motti Charter, a researcher from Tel Aviv University and team leader of the Global Owl Project in Israel.

"We have been reaching out to the farmers, to encourage them to reduce their use of rodenticides and install nest boxes instead."

In the preface to his 1822 book Element of the Philosophy of Right, German philospher Georg Hegel wrote, "the owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk" -- that is, philosophy cannot aid foresight as its understanding is revealed only through hindsight.

The Israeli plan is a perfect example of this Hegelian concept. After all, owls have been keeping rodent populations in check for millions of years. Returning to this natural pest solution is a decision that would make Minerva's owl hoot.

GET INVOLVED

• Check out these 15 ways to attract birds -- and birdsongs -- into your backyard
  
• Read "What You Can Do to Help Birds" (StateOfTheBirds.org)
  
• 25 Things You Can Do to Help the Birds in Your Backyard
  
• Join the Great Backyard Bird Count
• Sign an Audubon petition urging Congress to take action on global warming based on their recent Birds and Climate report which clearly shows that climate change is affecting birds

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