Pesticide Impacting Migration of Songbirds

on the laundry line” by Yutaka Seki licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: The Guardian

An insecticide used around the world may be causing songbirds to lose their sense of direction during migration.

Exposure to the pesticide neonicotinoid has been shown to cause severe weight loss and death among several species of migrating songbirds.

According to a new study published by Scientific Reports, white-crowned sparrows were fed corn seeds with the neonicotionoid substance.

As a result of digesting the seed, the birds quickly became weak and were unable to distinguish the northward direction of their migration.

Due to the recent findings, many European countries have banned the use of the pesticide on flowering crops and other countries, including Canada and the US, may follow.

Read Full Story: The Guardian

Environment, News
Environment, News