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Neonicotinoids are widely used insecticides in agriculture and horticulture. However, neonicotinoids usage is highly contentious because of their unintended harmful effects on various types of organisms.

Researcher Elke Molenaar of the Wageningen University & Research (WUR) says, "There have been concerns about the negative impact of neonicotinoids on insect populations for some time, but the general consensus for many years was that birds suffered relatively little from their toxicity.

"Direct effects through ingestion of food were thought to be minimal. A new study conducted by WUR in collaboration with Vogelbescherming Nederland (VBN, Birdlife Netherlands) shows that direct harmful effects do occur when birds eat food containing neonicotinoids. These effects should absolutely not be underestimated." The study is published in the journal Ecology Letters.

Global analysis: Effects on behavior, health, reproduction and survival

An analysis of global data from nearly 50 studies on 12 different bird species shows that neonicotinoids adversely affect all investigated aspects of bird life. In these studies, birds were exposed to neonicotinoids through their food or via direct administration, and more than a thousand effects were investigated, the vast majority being negative.

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