A principles-based decision tree for future investigations of native New Zealand birds during aerial 1080 operations

Ongoing investigations into bird mortality caused by aerial 1080 poison operations to suppress pest populations will be required because the operational specifications continually change and improve. We summarise recent studies of bird deaths following 1080 operations and present six principles for use in prioritising future research into poison risk for bird populations. A decision tree (and supporting flow diagram) shows how the need for new surveys can be evaluated using these principles. Iterative reporting of surveys and use of the six principles to prioritise new work will enable bird mortality risks to be continually updated in an evidence-base for conservation.