Institut für Pflanzenschutz in Gartenbau und Forst
The use of pesticides poses a potential threat to wild birds that use arable land as a source of food. The amount of pesticide ingested by wild birds is tiny and depends on many factors, including when and where the pesticides were used. While most recent pesticide studies have found residues in liver samples and individual active ingredients, non-invasive sampling methods and data on a variety of agrochemicals are required to determine pesticide exposure of live wild birds for post-registration monitoring. We collect cesspool samples from wild birds and analyze them for the presence of 80 pesticides including rodenticides and degradation products. The determination of pesticides in non-invasively collected cloaca samples allows for a more refined risk analysis that takes into account pesticides used in bird habitats. On the one hand, it enables the search for the sources of pesticide contamination and, on the other hand, research into possible harmful effects on the fitness of agricultural birds.
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture
