Pesticides and Birds

The Problem

Pesticides cause significant bird mortality each year. Of the five billion pounds of pesticides that are applied worldwide each year, 20% are used in the United States (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [USEPA], 2004). Our assumption that because these pesticides are licensed by the federal government their use is automatically safe, is unfounded. One well known estimate (Pimentel & Acquay, 1992) suggested that more than 670 million birds are directly exposed to pesticides each year on U.S. farms alone, 10% of which - or 67 million birds - die as a result.

Repeated exposure to some pesticides can also lead to sub-lethal effects such as decreased breeding success. These effects are hard to detect but nevertheless can produce dramatic species declines over time. Such was the case with DDT, which nearly wiped out several bird species in the U.S., including the Peregrine Falcon and Brown Pelican, by thinning the shells of their eggs to the point where they broke before hatching.

Approximately 40 pesticides still used in the U.S. are documented to have caused bird die-offs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the government agency responsible for regulating pesticides) has recorded more than 1,700 incidents of bird kills - many including hundreds of individual birds - attributable to pesticide use. In many cases the pesticides concerned were used completely legally. These incidents likely represent just the tip of a huge iceberg.

Progress is being made to remove the deadliest pesticides to birds from the market. Unfortunately, many of these same chemicals continue to be used overseas where they remain legal and continue to harm birds as well as coming back to U.S. store shelves in the form of toxic residue on food.

The Solution

In response to continuing pesticide-related bird kills throughout the Americas and a paucity of information and action on the issue, American Bird Conservancy established the Pesticides & Birds Campaign in 1998. The Campaign’s mission is to reduce the exposure of wild birds to hazardous pesticides, and to better define when, how, and to what degree specific pesticides pose risks to birds. Strategies include developing and supporting scientific research; improving regulatory, evaluative and monitoring frameworks; engaging the public and other non-profit organizations in the issue; serving as an information and advocacy hub; and, when necessary, working to cancel registrations of the most dangerous pesticides.

What You Can Do

Buy organic food
Avoid using pesticides in and around your home (e.g. rat poison)
Prevent mosquitoes breeding in your back yard
Report a pesticide poisoning incident (live birds and dead birds)

Further Resources

National Pesticide Reform Coalition - a consortium of groups concerned with pesticide effects on birds, wildlife, the environment, and humans, working together to reduce the threat of toxic chemicals

Avian Incident Monitoring System - data collection and analysis to provide better information on where and when birds are killed.

Birds in Agricultural Areas database - gives information on avian use of agricultural areas

Links to Other Useful Websites

Enviromentally sustainable farming practices:
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
American Farmland Trust

Creating a backyard wildlife habitat:
National Wildlife Federation
Safer Pest Control Project

Government Website:
Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs - current information on registrations, re-registrations, toxicity, and laws.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Information on environmental contaminants and wildlife.
Canadian Wildlife Service - Information on Canadian pesticide programs and research.

Other Pesticide-Related Websites:
Beyond Pesticides (formerly NCAMP) - Pesticide use reduction group, with fact sheets and pesticide alternatives.
Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) - Pro-organic group providing useful data and "PESTIS", a searchable database.
EXTOXNET the Extension Toxicology Networ - Searchable database of extensive pesticide information.
Rachel Carson Council - Information on pesticide effects.

Bibliography

Pimentel, D., & Acquay, H. 1992. The Environmental and Economic Costs of Pesticide Use. BioScience 42:750-760.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2004. Pesticides Industry Sales and Usage: 2000 and 2001 Market Estimates Washington, DC: T. Kiely, D. Donaldson, & A. Grube.

Vyas, N.B. 1999. Factors influencing estimation of pesticide-related wildlife mortality. Toxicology and Industrial Health 15: 186-191.