Institut für Pflanzenschutz in Gartenbau und urbanem Grün
This project aims to investigate the effects of pesticides on body condition, migration behaviour and survival of migratory birds.The recent establishment of a large-scale array of receiver stations as part of the MOTUS collaborative initiative in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain and the Netherlands opens up new possibilities for the study of migratory bird species that are too small for alternative tracking techniques. The miniaturization of radio-tracking devices enables the movements of songbirds to be followed for more than one year. This project will use the MOTUS radio-tracking system to study not only the migration behaviour, but also, for the first time, the survival of migratory birds.In the project the Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis is used as a model species. The Eurasian Skylark is a common migratory songbird that is known to be prone to pesticide exposure and is of conservation concern due to dramatic declines of its Western European breeding populations.The results of the planned project will provide crucial information not only for conservationists and ecologists, but also for policy, plant protection, and pesticide developers.
University of Oldenburg
