Lee Walker, principal investigator, and Elaine Potter, project co-ordinator, were invited to speak to the Wildlife Expert Group giving an overview of the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme. Lee spoke about the history of the scheme, how it started in the 1960’s due to the effects of organochlorine insecticides on the bird of prey population. He highlighted how the scheme has adapted through the decades answering key questions on pollution fate in the wider environment leading to exposure in birds of prey.
Elaine described how the scheme runs, communicating with collaborators and citizen scientists to collect the dead birds, the processes involved for gathering the information and tissues during necropsies and how these vital samples are then used to measure contaminants such as second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, metals, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals.
The Wildlife Expert Group is a network of veterinary experts that includes Veterinary Investigation Officers (VIOs) from the Animal and Plant Health Agency and partner organisations delivering disease surveillance in UK wildlife. Members of the WEG found the talk interesting and informative. Discussions focussed on developing a common understanding of the requirements when sending tissue to the PBMS and knowledge of the wider impacts of the PBMS work.