The mass die-off of thousands of songbirds in south-western US was caused by long-term starvation, made worse by unseasonably cold weather probably linked to the climate crisis, scientists have said. Flycatchers, swallows and warblers were among the migratory birds “falling out of the sky” in September, with carcasses found in New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Arizona […]
Tag: pesticide
Petition: Take Action to Ban DDT-like “Rat Poisons” Killing Wildlife
There is an urgent need to protect California’s wildlife. More and more wild animals are being found contaminated by first and second generation anticoagulant rodenticides. Like the Covid-19 statistics, we are seeing increased numbers of contaminated wildlife because more tests are being performed. However, also like the pandemic, we don’t truly know the extent of exposure […]
Two pesticides approved for use in US harmful to bees
A previously banned insecticide, which was approved for agricultural use last year in the United States, is harmful for bees and other beneficial insects that are crucial for agriculture, and a second pesticide in widespread use also harms these insects. That is according to a new analysis from researchers at The University of Texas at […]
Alarm as pesticides spur rapid decline of US bird species
Popular pesticides are causing bird species to decline at an alarming rate in the US, adding fuel to a 50-year downward trend in bird biodiversity, a new report has found. In addition to spray-on pesticides, farmers are widely using chemicals that coat seeds. These pesticides, called neonicotinoids or neonics, deter insects as the seeds sprout […]
Red-billed Oxpeckers Protect Black Rhinos From Poachers (but Also Drink Their Blood)
There’s long been a debate over whether Red-billed Oxpeckers earn their keep. As their name suggests, these common birds of Africa’s open lands like to hang around with domestic cattle and many large, wild mammal species. They eat ticks and other pesky parasites clinging to their hosts. Less helpfully, they also sometimes peck at wounds […]
Trump Administration Proposes Allowing GE Crops on Thousands of Acres of National Wildlife Refuges
WASHINGTON— The Trump administration has proposed to approve genetically engineered crops on national wildlife refuges throughout the southeastern United States, a step likely to increase use of glyphosate and other pesticides known to harm wildlife. The Obama administration acted in 2014 to phase out GE crops on all national wildlife refuges following a successful decade-long […]
500 Million Bees Found Dead in Brazil
Beekeepers in Brazil have reported the loss of 500 million bees from hives in 3 months. Bees have been dropping dead and evidence links pesticides to the cause. Regulations across Brazil have been reformed, leading to forest fires and now, increased pesticide use. Reporting from Mongabay said 290 pesticides have been cleared for use in […]
Victory! PETA and EPA Scientists Save Hundreds of Birds
The PETA International Science Consortium Ltd. and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have swooped in to prevent hundreds of birds from being used in pesticide tests. A peer-reviewed paper co-authored by the two organizations reviewed 20 years of data from a test for pesticides in which birds are fed pesticide-laced food for days and […]