Effective methods for managing populations of rock pigeons and other overabundant avian species are limited. An alternative to lethal control is reproductive inhibition. Nicarbazin is a widely used additive in poultry feed that also reduces hatchability of eggs. It is the active ingredient in OvoControl®G, a bait product recently registered as a means for reducing hatchability of eggs of urban Canada geese. In a series of trials with captive pigeons, we evaluated the effectiveness of several nicarbazin bait formulations to determine effects on reproduction and to quantify levels of nicarbazin absorbed into the blood. Although pigeons readily accepted a scaled-down version of the OvoControl goose bait, this formulation did not adequately reduce hatchability because of insufficient absorption of nicarbazin into the blood. Other bait formulations that contained 2,500 ppm nicarbazin produced similar results. Only bait formulated with 5,000 ppm nicarbazin produced sufficient amounts of the active ingredient in blood plasma of test birds. Eventual registration of the nicarbazin pigeon bait will provide additional management options for limiting growth of unwanted pigeon populations.

The invasive Burmese python is a large constrictor snake that is now well established in south Florida. This invasive predator could have major detrimental impacts to native wildlife populations and is a perceived threat to human health and safety. Finding and removing this elusive predator in vast Everglades habitats of wet sawgrass prairies with interspersed hardwood hammocks poses many challenges for biologists and land managers in south Florida, and no single solution is likely to prevail. In ongoing research, we are exploring opportunities to improve detection of this cryptic species using such diverse approaches as environmental DNA, trained detector dogs, and thermal infrared imagery. In this paper we update the status of these efforts. Other research, using captive pythons in outdoor pens at our facility in Gainesville, has resulted in the development of a newly-patented live trap that is specific to large snakes. We are currently testing and evaluating techniques to complement this new trap design for effective python removal in concert with improved detection tools.