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European starlings, American crows, Canada geese, and common grackles are among 22 wild bird species on the government’s hit list in Arkansas. These innocent wild birds face painful deaths by gassing and toxic egg baits. Speak up now to save them from our own federal government!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services plans to kill Canada geese while adults are molting and unable to fly. Geese and their goslings are often placed in mobile gas chambers, a particularly cruel and painful method of killing high-flying migratory birds who are used to dramatic differences in air pressure. Entire families will be traumatized and gassed to death.

Egg-eating birds like European starlings, American crows, and common grackles may be killed with the avicide DRC-1339. Birds who eat poisoned eggs laced with DRC-1339 return to their roosts, suffer from kidney failure and die slow, painful deaths.

Killing wild birds doesn’t reduce their numbers in the long-term, it only makes room for other families to take over the habitat. Effective nonlethal stewardship strategies utilize a multi-pronged approach with habit modification, population stabilization, and site aversion. In its Environmental Assessment, Wildlife Services even lists nonlethal methods like pruning trees to discourage roosting and using bird-proof feeders for farmed animals.

Arkansas’ wild birds need us to speak up for them! You can reach Wildlife Services by making calls and by submitting our letter.

Public comments on the Environmental Assessment are due by March 11, 2022.

1. Make a Call. Call the Wildlife Services Arkansas State Director at 501-835-2318 or Toll-Free at 1-866-4USDAWS and urge the selection of humane nonlethal long-term wild bird stewardship strategies.

You can say, “I strongly oppose all lethal methods to manage wild bird populations in Arkansas. Instead, I urge you to try effective, nonlethal measures to prevent conflicts with European starlings, American crows, Canada geese, and common grackles. You can find helpful strategies at www.stopgooseabuse.org.”

2. Get Involved Locally. To stop goose roundups in your community, please check out our resources at www.stopgooseabuse.org and contact us for help at geese@idausa.org. In Defense of Animals’ National Goose Protection Coalition advocates for long-term, effective, nonlethal stewardship practices to support coexistence with waterfowl. The coalition was formed in 2019 to help concerned citizens stop goose cruelty in their communities.

3. Write a Letter. Please send our letter to Wildlife Services Arkansas State Director urging the agency to decide against lethal action against the geese this year and in future years and to adopt effective, nonlethal goose stewardship strategies.

Sign our letters to deliver your comments to:

• Wildlife Services Arkansas State Director

** Please note: Your first and last name will be published on the official comment form by regulations.gov ** Your email address will not be published.

In Defense of Animals fully expects and strongly urges all people involved in this campaign to act responsibly and lawfully and to respect the personal interests and privacy rights and concerns of any individuals who may be affected by, or become the subject of, your protests or related efforts.