15/10/2026
RABBiT CONTROL AND WILDLUFE - How do we manage for both.
In Victoria, feral or wild populations of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are declared as established pest animals under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CALP Act)
Under the CALP Act all landowners have a responsibility to take all reasonable steps to prevent the spread of – and as far as possible eradicate – established pest animals from their land.
Rabbits are one of Australia's most serious pest animals as they:
-destroy pasture, crops and plant communities which impact agriculture and the environment
-cause soil erosion and associated sedimentation of waterways
-compete with native fauna for food and habitat
-are well suited to Australian conditions and breed prolifically.
Between 2020 and 2021, rabbits were estimated to have an annual economic impact of approximately $197 million dollars nationally.
But rabbit baiting programs—particularly using anticoagulants can pose a direct and secondary poisoning risk to non-target wildlife, including native birds and raptors.
How to Prevent Bird Deaths
• Free-Feeding (Pre-feeding): Run an unpoisoned free-feeding phase first using untreated oats or carrots. This lets you monitor if native birds or non-target animals are taking the food before adding poison.
• Timing of Placement: Lay baits in the evening just after dusk so nocturnal rabbits access them, and remove or cover uneaten bait the next morning before diurnal birds become active.
• Bait Stations or Tunnels: Use covered bait stations or specialized protective covers in areas with high bird activity to block birds from reaching the grain or carrots.
• Green Dye: Ensure oat or carrot baits are treated with a green or non-appealing deterrent dye, which many birds are less likely to pick up compared to natural grain.
• Carcass & Bait Cleanup: Search the baited area daily to collect and deeply bury (at least 500 mm underground) any dead rabbit carcasses and leftover/uneaten bait to stop raptors and scavengers from feeding on them.
• Follow Standards: Adhere strictly to the PestSmart Ground Baiting Standard Operating Procedure and local biosecurity rules (such as Agriculture Victoria's Integrated Rabbit Control).Why Dead Birds Occur During Rabbit Baiting
• Primary Poisoning: Ground-feeding birds (such as gulls, parrots, or cockatoos) may directly consume grain or carrot baits intended for rabbits.
• Secondary Poisoning: Carnivorous and scavenging birds (such as hawks, tawny frogmouths, or wedge-tailed eagles) can be poisoned after eating poisoned rabbit carcasses or dying rodents/pests that ingested the bait.
• Historical Incidents: Large-scale eradication projects have faced emergency shutdowns and strict reviews after hundreds of non-target birds were killed by broadcasted pest baits.
Good resources for best practice rabbit control are available at
Integrated rabbit control | Invasive animal management | Pest animals | Biosecurity | Agriculture Victoria https://share.google/x9cMehQOjq3TNOxuE
Rabbit Management Overcoming rabbits is not impossible it just takes persistence, dedication and community-led effort.Managing rabbits in our landscape is important. They threaten our environment, agriculture production and cultural heritage. Under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994, rabbits...
