{"id":40434,"date":"2025-12-05T00:01:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T05:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=40434"},"modified":"2025-12-05T10:37:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T15:37:40","slug":"weak-recovery-of-bird-species-after-neonic-ban-with-exceptions-in-france-persistence-cited","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2025\/12\/weak-recovery-of-bird-species-after-neonic-ban-with-exceptions-in-france-persistence-cited\/","title":{"rendered":"Weak Recovery of Bird Species after Neonic Ban with Exceptions in France, Persistence Cited"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, December 5, 2025) A study published this month in Environmental Pollution<\/em><\/a> analyzes the role of neonicotinoid insecticide exposure on bird populations, finding a significant negative effect of imidacloprid<\/a> use on insectivorous bird abundance. In comparing the effects of the insecticide imidacloprid on bird abundance in France before and after the 2018 ban, the researchers show a weak recovery of bird populations after 2018. The persistent nature of imidacloprid, however, as well as the continued use of other petrochemical pesticides that have adverse effects on bird species, continues to impact populations of all types of birds and other wildlife<\/a>, leading to cascading impacts on biodiversity<\/a>. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur study shows that imidacloprid<\/a> is a major covariate of the abundance of birds, in addition to other pesticides that are also negatively related to bird populations, and that these effects are not uniform across species,\u201d the authors report. They continue in saying that the relationship between neonicotinoids and bird abundance varied across bird diets, as \u201cthe abundance of insectivorous birds was consistently lower under increasing pesticide use, in particular imidacloprid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Background<\/strong><\/p>\n

As shared in the study and on Beyond Pesticides\u2019 Birds page<\/a>, bird species can be exposed to pesticides directly through ingestion of seeds that have been treated with pesticides, or indirectly through consumption of small insects and other animals that have ingested the pesticides themselves, leading to secondary poisoning of the bird. They can also be indirectly affected through the overall decline in insect populations from pesticide exposure. When the insect population is reduced, which is currently occurring in an \u2018insect apocalypse\u2019<\/a> according to scientists, this natural food source for birds is also reduced. See Daily News Indiscriminate Poisoning of Neonicotinoid Insecticides Contributes to Insect Apocalypse, Study Finds<\/a> and Continued Decline in Insect Species Biodiversity with Agricultural Pesticide Use Documented<\/a> for more information.<\/em> Some birds also forage for nectar, which has been contaminated in plants grown from pesticide treated seeds or drenched in production, a common problem with systemic pesticides like imidacloprid.<\/p>\n

“Direct contamination, with lethal or sublethal effects<\/a>, affects demographic parameters as well as bird behavior<\/a>, such as predator avoidance or migration timing, with negative consequences on individual fitness and population dynamics,\u201d the researchers say. They continue: \u201cPesticides also impact birds indirectly by decreasing the amount and diversity of food sources namely insects for most bird species, but also seeds. Major losses have been documented both in insects<\/a> and seed plants and some of them were linked to high pesticides use<\/a>.\u201d (See additional research here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Of the many pesticide classes, neonicotinoid insecticides are particularly linked to population declines in birds. Neonicotinoids<\/a> (neonics) are a class of insecticides that share a common mode of action that affects the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death. Studies<\/a> show that neonicotinoid residues accumulate in the pollen and nectar of treated plants and are a threat to the health of pollinators. Neonicotinoids are also persistent in the environment and are so toxic that as little as one neonic-treated seed<\/a> is enough to kill a songbird. This class of pesticides is also known to contaminate waterways, posing additional risks as these compounds are highly toxic to aquatic organisms.<\/p>\n

\u201cImidacloprid, in particular, has widely contaminated the environment worldwide and is commonly found in both aquatic and terrestrial eco-systems, as well as in birds,\u201d the authors share. (See studies here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.) They continue: \u201cIn France, imidacloprid was the primary neonicotinoid used, as well as the most frequently detected in surface waters<\/a> and arable soils<\/a>… Despite the ban of neonicotinoids for flowering crops in 2013 and for all crops in 2018, annual exemptions were granted in France for sugar beet in 2021 and 2022. Imidacloprid continues to be detected in the environment<\/a> and others neonicotinoids have been found in birds<\/a>, suggesting the persistence of these active substances in the environment and their potential adverse effects on birds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Study Methodology and Results<\/strong><\/p>\n

While previous research links neonicotinoid use to population impacts, the \u201cpotential for population recovery after ban has not been investigated,\u201d the researchers state. \u201cHere, we investigated this relationship in France over the 2013\u20132022 period, focusing on 57 bird species from insectivorous, granivorous [animals feeding on grain] and generalist guilds, surveyed across a large number of plots (n = 1983).\u201d<\/p>\n

In analyzing publicly available data on pesticide sales and bird monitoring, the authors are able to calculate the Total Applied Toxicity (TAT) from toxicity to specific taxonomic groups (e.g. birds, nontarget arthropods) to indicate not only the direct effects of pesticides on birds but also on bird food sources (insects). \u201cWe also assessed whether the 2018 neonicotinoid ban was sufficient to trigger recovery in bird populations,\u201d the researchers add.<\/p>\n

For estimating bird abundance, data from the French Breeding Bird Survey<\/a> from 2013 to 2022 was utilized, with the bird species separated into trophic guilds, which are defined by similar diets. Pesticide pressures were assessed through data on pesticide sales from the French National Database of Sales of Plant Protection Products by Authorized Distributors<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As a result, the authors find:<\/p>\n