News Animals

Seeds coated in a common pesticide might affect birds’ migration

white-crowned sparrow

FOR THE BIRDS  Eating even a few pesticide-coated seeds can disorient white-crowned sparrows, new studies suggest.

Chin tin tin/wikimedia commons (CC BY 2.0)

By Laurel Hamers

- More than 2 years ago

MINNEAPOLIS — Pesticides that kill insects can also have short-term effects on seed-eating birds. Ingesting even small amounts of imidacloprid, a common neonicotinoid pesticide, can disorient migratory white-crowned sparrows, researchers report.