The use of neonicotinoid pesticides in recent decades has been linked to declines in bees and other invertebrate pollinators. Caspar Hallmann et al. present data from the Netherlands showing a correlation between declines in insectivorous farmland bird populations and water concentrations of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid. The spatial connection remains once other land-use changes have been accounted for. The authors suggest that neonicotinoids may have a cascading effect on the ecosystem that should be taken into account in future legislation on insecticide usage.

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