Stirling achieves owl-friendly City status
The City of Stirling is officially an owl-friendly City after phasing out all use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) from its operations and contracts.
Common off-the-shelf baits, SGARs contain powerful but slow-acting poisons that can take days to kill the rodents that have ingested them.
When those rodents become easy meals for pets or native species, such as owls, they can also be harmed or killed by the poison.
Founded in Margaret River, the owl-friendly initiative aims to limit the use of SGARs in Australia.
In April 2025, City of Stirling Council voted to become an owl-friendly City, following on from a motion by Cr Tony Krsticevic in November 2024.
The City committed to eliminating SGARs from its operations and contracts and delivering ongoing education about the use of responsible rodent controls throughout the community.
Less than a year on from this vote, the City has ended its use of SGARs, taking an important step towards protecting our wildlife and any non-target animals from the impacts of SGARs and earning owl-friendly status.
The City will continue its ongoing education about the use of responsible rodent controls throughout the community, including at food premises, commercial properties, building sites and homes.
We hope to continue building on the success of our first ever Night Walks in spring last year, which saw 135 residents express interest in attending across three nights in Star Swamp Bushland Reserve and Dianella Regional Open Space to learn more about wildlife and pest control.
To learn more about educational resources available including the City’s free rodent bait sample packs, visit the City’s Pests, weeds and diseases webpage.
Caption: Raptor Fliers Association of WA Inc's Marc Tursan D'espaignet, City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin and CEO Stevan Rodic with Hagrid the barn owl.
