Birds p.2

Study Finds Increased Offspring Mortality in Pesticide-Laden Bird’s Nests    (Beyond Pesticides, February 11, 2025) In a Science of The Total Environment study, scientists test over 100 blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and great tit (Parus major) birds’ nests for pesticide residues in comparison with the number of dead offspring and unhatched eggs within the nest. Fur-lined nests, from animals treated with ectoparasitic chemicals, expose birds to compounds that can impact reproductive success. The authors found fipronil, a phenyl pyrazole insecticide, in all nests, with the majority also containing the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid and synthetic pyrethroid insecticide permethrin. The data shows higher insecticide levels are linked to increased offspring mortality and threaten biodiversity. This study highlights an important exposure route that is overlooked.  ...the researchers highlight the study’s novel design, saying, “To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have been performed to detect and quantify veterinary ectoparasitic drugs in the fur used for nest-building and explored the potential associated effects in these bird species.” They continue, writing, “The environmental impact of insecticides used as ectoparasitic treatments for companion animals is not well understood, since they are not subject to detailed environmental risk assessment.”'     SNAP Comment: As of 3 March 2025, there are 0 fipronil, 98 imidacloprid, and  303 permethrin containing pesticides registered by the PMRA, many for treating pets and livestock.

Raptors And Rat Poison (By Cathy Bell, Cornell Lab All About Birds, July 15, 2015)     Of 161 raptors brought in to Tufts Wildlife Clinic between 2006 and 2010, 139—a whopping 86 percent—tested positive for anticoagulant rodenticides. Ninety-nine percent of those had brodifacoum in their liver tissues. Yet only nine of these birds displayed sufficient symptoms to lead to a clinical diagnosis of anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning.   A knowledge gap, says Allen Fish, is precisely the trouble. “There’s no clear public record of where we’re putting pesticides, who’s using them, how much is being used. Until we demand that information, we’re flying blind. There needs to be a whole public reckoning of who uses what, and why. We need to track how operators are using pesticides and then see if there’s any correlation with animal kills. We don’t know these impacts. We don’t have any data.”  As for the environmentally conscious homeowner with a rodent problem, Palmer points out that “there are many effective, economical, and easy-to-use pest control options that are much better for human health and for wildlife.” (ABC offers a list at saferodentcontrol.org.)  According to Fish, snap traps offer a more humane way to kill rats than a drawn-out and painful death by poison. SNAP Comment:  Brodifacoum is usually used in rodent bait. There are 17 brodifacoum containing pesticides regiaterd in Canada in April 2024. Most are registered as commercial products, none for direct use by consumers (domestic).