Veterinary drugs found in bird nests

‍

Following the release of the publication titled “High prevalence of veterinary drugs in bird’s nests” from the SongBird Survival research project Birds and Pesticides, lead author Dr Cannelle Tassin de Montaigu gives her overview of the newest findings.

Many pet owners leave fur outdoors after brushing their pet, hoping it will be used by birds like blue tits and great tits to line their nests. While this practice may seem harmless and even helpful, our study has found that chemicals commonly used in animal flea and tick treatments (e.g., fipronil, imidacloprid, permethrin) make their way into bird’s nests. These substances, often banned for agricultural use due to their environmental risks, are still widely used in veterinary applications. These can commonly be found in shampoos, sprays, and spot-on treatments for pets and/or livestock.

We analysed 103 nests sent by volunteers from the Nesting Neighbour Scheme at the British Trust for Ornithology and detected 17 out of 20 screened insecticides. This included fipronil present in 100% of nests and imidacloprid present in 89% of nests.  

We also found a relationship between the concentration detected in fur and the birds’ breeding success, with a higher egg and chick mortality in nests with a higher concentration of insecticides detected.  

Overall, our findings are alarming and highlight the vast potential for environmental contamination, given the millions of cats, dogs, and livestock in the UK potentially being treated with these pesticides. Along with SongBird Survival, the University of Sussex research team are calling for urgent action to ensure a greater environmental risk assessment of veterinary drugs.

‍

Cannelle Tassin de Montaigu

Instagram : @cannelle_montaigu

Twitter: @CannelleTassin

Read more about the project here and for more information on our press release here.

Guardian article - The research was featured in the Guardian newspaper. Read the story

If you are a scientist and would like to shine a light on your recent research covering songbirds here in the UK, then let us know! As a supporter of our charity, if you have ideas for blog posts you would like to see and topics you would like us to cover on #theSBSblog, please contact us at dawn-chorus@songbird-survival.org.uk or our Research and Engagement Manager at charlotte@songbird-survival.org.uk. 

‍