This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services plans to kill over 20 bird species in Arizona for exhibiting natural behaviors like singing and pooping. Lethal methods include poisoning and neck-breaking. Raise your voice to stop this brutal attack on our avian neighbors!

According to the agency's Pre-decisional Draft Environmental Assessment, the 20 primary bird species who are being considered for lethal extermination include red-tailed hawks and other raptors, Great Egrets and several wading birds, and some species of doves, pigeons, and woodpeckers.

Wildlife Services may kill birds with neurotoxins like Avitrol, an avicide that is highly toxic and cruel to birds, other wild animals, and animal companions who ingest the poison or the poisoned birds. The poison causes an “alarm response” in birds to scare the rest of the flock with convulsions, paralysis, leg pedaling, and screaming that continues for minutes or hours. Portland, Oregon, banned Avitrol and other avicides on city lands in 2019 when large numbers of dead and dying birds fell from the sky after being poisoned.

Other methods considered for killing the targeted birds include often inaccurate gunshots and cervical dislocation on highly stressed and traumatized animals who witnessed their family murdered before their eyes. Sadly, killing the birds doesn't manage the population in the long term, it only makes room for other families to continue the killing cycle.

Encourage Wildlife Services to coexist with Arizona's birds and employ nonlethal alternatives such as signs and ordinances against feeding birds, sweeper machines to remove bird feces, sonic repellants, and educational materials to foster coexistence with birds.

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.