How Pesticides Affect Birds
  Although birds may seem like annoying squawking creatures to some, their beautiful songs may no longer be heard. Due to the silent bird killer, known as a pesticide, the impact of toxins has been significantly been more prominent than before. For example, in France, 1/3 of the population of birds has decreased dramatically because of toxins from pesticides. North American bird populations have spiraled down by 30%, according to American Bird Conservation, because of climate change, poor pesticide use, and natural predators. Although their role may not seem important, they play the role of dispensers for plants, eat dead animals and protect our drinking water. If your pesticides have carbofuran, fenthion, chlorfenapyr, or/and ethyl parathion, you should switch to a pesticide such as Camicide. Once bird populations are gone, they are almost impossible to recover as some are endemic species, which means they’re native to a certain region and can only survive in certain conditions. The power of one person using pesticides with such harmful toxins is very effective. As the United States uses more than 1 billion pounds of pesticide each year, the whole world uses over 5.6 billion pounds per year. As laws are being put in place, it is important to take these little steps as birds can protect gardens and help pollinate different plants. Some herbicides have even been linked to being found in U.S. drinking water, the more precautions we take, the better for us (humans) and the bird populations as their food sources come in contact with pesticides and herbicides. More than 670 million birds die (almost 10%) because of pesticides and one person being cautious of what they use can start a chain reaction. If a bird lands in your area, you may be elongating a bird’s lifespan by using bird-safe pesticides.Â
Links for some alternatives to toxic pesticides towards birds:Â
1. https://www.thespruce.com/how-pest-control-hurts-birds-386321
2. https://www.amazon.com/Esentria-Insecticide-Concentrate-Spectrum-Insects/dp/B011UVKH0A