Comparative Sublethal Toxicity of Three Neonicotinoids in Red-Winged Blackbirds.

ABSTRACT: Seed-eating birds that use agricultural areas could be exposed to neonicotinoids through several pathways, including ingestion of treated seeds. Previous studies in birds have found sublethal exposure to neonicotinoids can reduce body mass and fat stores, but the underlying mechanism is not clear. We hypothesized that neonicotinoids reduce body mass principally by acting as an appetite suppressant rather than increasing energy consumption. Red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were exposed to an oral dose of one of three neonicotinoids at concentrations that could realistically be consumed by seed-eating birds (0, 10, 20, or 30 mg/kg bw of imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, or clothianidin) or were given a moderate or high food-restricted diet (n = 9 or 10 birds per treatment)

SUBMITTER: Eng ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12288055 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature