By Serena Solomon
DNAinfo Reporter/Prodcuer
UPPER WEST SIDE — With spring in the air, the Parks Department is pulling back on rat baiting for the sake of nesting red-tailed hawks throughout the city.
There are more than 30 nesting pairs of hawks throughout New York City and rats are a common source of food for the top predator. However, when rodents consume the poison put out by the Parks Department they pass on toxins through the food chain harming the hawks and their young.
"Red-tail hawks are a real success in New York City. Their numbers are increasing," said Sarah Aucoin, the director of the Urban Park Rangers that is part of the Parks Department.
"We want to ensure the nest and the young are viable."
Aucoin said the big problem with baited rats is the bio accumulation, where the red-tailed hawks consumes the rodents or feeds on another animal that consumed a rat.
"A rat may have a small amount of poison, but hawks feed on lots of rats and rodents," she said. The toxins accumulate in the hawk's body killing or making them sick.
The priority of the hawks does throw a minor wrench in the works for those fighting rats in the city.
Poisonous baiting that would have happened in Union Square, Washington Square, Inwood, Riverside and Central Park have all been put on hold.
"Rather than bait, we just use rat traps," New York Parks & Recreation spokeswoman Cristina DeLuca told DNAinfo via e-mail.
"Since we are only using traps in these areas, it does affect our ability to control the rat populations."
DeLuca encouraged the public to help keep the rat population under control by keeping the city's parks clean of rubbish.
Hawks have been long been a fascination for city dwellers, with one of the New York's most famous love stories staring two red-tailed hawks — Pale Male and Lola, who made their nest on the 12th floor ledge of a Fifth Avenue apartment block.
"It is really a symbol of wildlife, of how wild the city really is," said Aucoin. She said one of the ways to pick a hawk soaring high above the city is they tend to glide and not flap, with their wings catching the rising wind currents.
"Wherever you are in New York City and if you look up you will probably see one," said Aucoin.
