The use of insecticides recalls the specter of DDT for Connecticut’s most common birds: Connecticut State of the Birds 2024
An adult Purple Martin offers food to its hungry offspring in early July at the Milford Point Coastal Center. The birds’ dependence on insects put them at risk from the use of neonics. Photo by Frank Mantlik.
Click HERE for a PDF of the 2024 Connecticut State of the Birds report
December 6, 2024—A new report released today by the Connecticut Audubon Society warns that some of Connecticut’s most beloved bird species, including the state bird, the American Robin, are facing a growing threat from a widely used pesticide.
The 2024 Connecticut State of the Birds report, titled “The Next Conservation Frontier: Protecting Birds from Insecticides,” highlights the dangers of neonicotinoids (neonics, for short), a class of insecticides significantly more toxic than DDT.
“This isn’t just about rare or obscure birds,” said Connecticut Audubon Executive Director Joyce Leiz. “Neonics are putting our everyday birds – the robins, bluebirds, and swallows we see in our yards and fields – at serious risk. These insecticides are used on lawns, golf courses, and farms across Connecticut, disrupting the food chain and directly poisoning birds.”
Milan Bull, Connecticut Audubon’s senior director of science and conservation, said: “Delaying action until populations decline dramatically is a costly and ecologically risky approach to conservation. It’s an approach that would echo the disaster of DDT 75 years ago.”
Click HERE for a one-page summary of the 2024 Connecticut State of the Birds report.
Connecticut Birds in Danger
The report cites six Connecticut species as examples of how even the most common birds are facing significant threats from neonics: American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Barn Swallow, Bobolink, Chimney Swift, and Red-winged Blackbird.
Neonics decimate insect populations, depriving birds of a critical food source, particularly during the breeding season when they need to feed their young.
Birds can be fatally poisoned by eating neonic-coated seeds. Even a single corn kernel can be lethal to a songbird.
Exposure to low levels of neonics can weaken birds’ immune systems, disrupt their navigation, reduce fertility, and cause dangerous weight loss during migration.
Call to Action
The Connecticut Audubon Society is urging the state’s General Assembly to take immediate action to protect birds by enacting stronger regulations on neonicotinoid use. The report points to successful neonic regulations in neighboring states like New York and Vermont as models for Connecticut to follow.
“We need to catch up with our neighbors and protect our natural heritage,” Leiz said. “The time to act is now, before we lose more of the birds that make Connecticut so special.”
Connecticut State of the Birds 2024 is sponsored by
