About 1,150 individuals of 38 species of Passeriformes and other small birds were collected in 1980 at 36 locations in eight western U.S. states for organochlorine (OC) chemical analysis. The bird carcasses (less beak, tarsi, gastrointestinal tract, and feathers) were combined by species and location (4 to 15 specimens per sample) into 124 composited samples for analysis. Also analyzed were 77 single specimens of four species, to assess variation in residue concentrations in individual birds. The chemicals detected (greater than 0.05 ppm) were the following (in order of frequency): DDE, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), heptachlor epoxide, oxychlordane, dieldrin and toxaphene. DDE accounted for 72% of total OC concentrations (ppm DDE/ppm total OCs) overall and PCBs accounted for 3%. DDE mean (geometric) residues were highest in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor Vieillot), 12.0 ppm; killdeer (Charadrius vociferus L.), 5.9 ppm; and Brewer's blackbirds (Euphagus cyanocephalus Wagler), 2.7 ppm. Eight migratory species showed mean DDE residues 13 times higher than those in four resident species (1.3 vs. 0.1 ppm, p < 0.05), but PCB residues were similar (0.03 vs. 0.02 ppm). Insectivorous species showed higher DDE, PCB and total OC residues than did either omnivores or granivores (p < 0.05). Males of some species showed higher residues of DDE, PCBs and total OCs than did females (p < 0.05). DDE residues, but not PCBs, in killdeer, Brewer's blackbirds and violet‐green swallows (Tachycineta thalassina Swainson) were significantly related (0.01 < p < 0.08) to latitude and longitude of origin. Concentrations of DDE in the carcass fat of some individual tree swallows and killdeer would be in the lethal range if 15 to 20% of the stored DDE were rapidly mobilized to the brain. Samples of 13 species contained DDE concentrations (greater than 3 ppm) considered sufficient to inhibit the normal reproduction of avian predators feeding on them. The evidence suggests that potentially harmful OC concentrations are present in certain western migrants and pose an even greater hazard to avian predators such as the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus Tunstall).
We investigated the effects of grasshopper control methods on breeding bird populations in western rangelands. We estimated bird densities on 13 treated and 11 untreated sites before and after grasshopper control operations. Four different treatments were used in these applications: malathion, sevh&oil, carbaryl bait and Nosenra locustue bait. There were few differences among the 4 treatments in their effects on bird community parameters (total bird density, and species richness, diversity, or evenness). Bird community parameters did not differ between spray and bait applications but sample sizes were small for bait treatments. When data from all treatments were combined for analysis, there was no difference in any of the bird community parameters between pre-and post-treatment samples. Densities of western meadowlarks (Sttwnellu neglecta), however, were significantly lower on treated than untreated sites 10 and 21 days after treatment. We found no relationship between changes in bird numbers 21 days post-treatment and either the size of the area treated or the date of treatment (i.e., early or late in nesting season). Malathion is an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, but brain AChE levels in birds collected on sites treated with malathion showed no significant inhibition. These results suggest that grasshopper integrated pest management treatments generally have little effect on breeding bird communities but some insectivorous bird species may decline on rangeland treated with broadspectrum insecticides because of reduction in food base. Pesticide applications that have adverse impacts on birds and other nontarget wildlife that prey on grasshoppers may be eounterproductive to longterm integrated pest management goals.
Accidental human exposure to pesticide products is a major concern of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). One condition of product reregistration is the submission of product-specific incident report summaries from the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) Toxic Exposure Surveillance System (TESS). Between 1986 and 1998, the AAPCC received a total of 22,921,827 incident reports from telephone calls and physician reports. The total number of incident reports per year more than doubled between 1986 and 1998, with 2,241,082 incidents in 1998. While the total number of incidents increased each year, the reporting per year rate remained constant at approximately 9 reports per 1,000 individuals. Rodenticide related incident reports increased from 8,705 in 1986 to 20,300 in 1998. However, the yearly reporting rate for rodenticide incidents remained constant at approximately 8 reports per 100,000 individuals. Since 1990, anticoagulants have consistently accounted for 82% to 89% of all rodenticide exposures and "long-acting" anticoagulants (i.e., 2 nd generation compounds such as brodifacoum) have accounted for 83% to 91% of all anticoagulant incidents. Although there was variation between years, there were approximately 150 incident reports each year for both strychnine and zinc phosphide. "Unintentional" exposures accounted for approximately 85% of all incidents reported to the AAPCC. With the exception of strychnine, unintentional exposure to rodenticides was slightly higher, at 90%. In the case of zinc phosphide, nearly all exposures (>97%) were unintentional. The majority of exposures involved children less than 6 years old. However, adults were reported to be involved more than 50% of the strychnine incidents. Despite the high number of exposures, very few cases resulted in more than minor symptoms.
During 2000-2001, small mammals, birds, and potential corn/soybean damage were studied at a low-tillage, non-irrigated agricultural research site in the Colorado Piedmont. A small mammal survey involved four trapping sessions and 18, 12-live-trap grids each. Within years, two grids each were placed at random, fixed locations in experimental corn, fallow, millet, pea, soybean, sunflower, and wheat plots at the site; two off-plot grids each were set at random, fixed locations o100 m from the north and south edge of these plots. In 2001, periodic bird observations were conducted, and damage to corn and soybean plants was assessed. Capture rates were low during all trap sessions (range 0.1%-3.3%, % X ¼ 2:2%). Sixty-three small mammals were captured and 39 were recaptured. Captures included deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), northern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys leucogaster), thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus), and western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis). Deer mice accounted for 56 of the initial captures (88.9%). In-crop captures (n ¼ 15) and recaptures (n ¼ 16) were most frequent in wheat plots. Bird counts were low and included horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), killdeer plover (Charadrius vociferus), lark bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys), mountain plover (Charadrius montanus), mourning dove (Zenaida macroura), and western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta). No direct seed removal, sprout removal, or plant clipping by small mammals or birds was observed, but some clipping of soybean plants was attributed to deer (Odocoileus virginianus and O. hemionus) and jack rabbits (Lepus townsendii or L. californicus). Plant debris accumulation is viewed as a key factor determining small mammal abundance and potential damage in low-till agriculture. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.
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