Bird populations reduced by neonicotinoids

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.