An evaluation of methyl anthranilate, aminoacetophenone, and unfamiliar coloration as feeding repellents to American Kestrels

A comparison of methyl anthranilate and 4-aminoacetophenone as feeding repe llents to a captive colony of American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) was made to determine whether aversive conditioning to these chemicals is possible in a bird of prey species. Our results suggested that, while these chemical s seemed to cause some food rejection by kestrels, they did not deter them from eating treated dead, day-old cockerels. A second study using a combina tion of chemical additives linked to food dyed an unfamiliar color revealed that color, and not the chemicals, was a more aversive agent. This suggest ed that manipulation of a kestrel's visual perception of a prey item alone had potentially more success than conditioning it to avoid a chemical addit ive. These results may prove useful in practical applications such as prote cting game bird young at wild release sites or domestic homing pigeons asso ciated with a particular home loft. These measures may in turn help to prot ect birds of prey from persecution as competitors for prey of human economi c importance.