Bird mortality rates rising due to pet treatment chemicals found in nests - Songbird Survival

• University of Sussex research, funded by SongBird Survival, finds harmful chemicals from flea treatments in fur lined nests of blue and great tits
• Scientists and charity call for the government to reassess the environmental risk of pesticides in pet medicines
• Vets advise against blanket year-round flea and tick treatment policies

Research released today (Monday 27 January) from the University of Sussex, funded by bird charity SongBird Survival, has found high levels of harmful chemicals from pet flea treatment in bird’s nests lined with animal fur, is leading to an increased mortality rate of chicks.

The new study shows that the fur birds use to build the inner lining of their nests contained chemicals used in pet flea treatments, such as fipronil.

The researchers collected 103 nests from blue and great tits which were lined with fur. They detected 17 out of the 20 insecticides screened. 100% of nests contained fipronil, which was banned in the EU for agricultural use in 2013, and 89% contained imidacloprid, which was banned in the EU as a plant protection product in 2018.

They found clear evidence that these insecticides are harmful to birds, eggs and chicks, with a higher number of unhatched eggs or dead chicks in nests due to a higher number of insecticides.

The researchers are now calling for the government to reassess the environmental risk of pesticides used in flea and tick treatments.