A lot of conventional pesticides are sprayed and spread around the United States every year. They are used on everything from the food we eat to the grass we walk on and the plants in our gardens. Many of these chemicals stay in the soil and water for months or even years, killing more than just the pests we want to get rid of in the garden.
The impacts are staggering. Chemicals used in farming may hurt people and pets, and each year in the U.S. they may also kill up to 67 million wild birds. S. , though pinpointing the exact number is difficult.
This makes it hard for gardeners who want lots of crops and pretty flowers but don’t want to use harmful pesticides. The good news is that it can be done. Read on to find out more about how grass killers affect birds, how these chemicals are controlled, and how you can keep weeds down in a healthy garden that birds will enjoy.
For starters, lets talk about what a pesticide is. Pesticides includes insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, acaricides, and any other “-cide” you can think of. If the intent of a product is to eliminate a pest or plant disease, its a pesticide. There are a lot of different products in this group, from organic ones that are better for birds to the harshest synthetic ones.
Thats not all. Pesticides have long-term impacts that can affect birds and other wildlife well into the future. If these effects kill birds in one place for a long time, they could keep populations down in that area for years to come.
Bird arent the only victims of dangerous pesticides. Workers on farms and in applicators who come into close contact with these chemicals can get rashes, neurological damage, and other health problems.
In the US, all pesticides, both agricultural and non-agricultural, are registered with the EPA and controlled by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) of 1947. FIFRA has been amended multiple times over the years to adapt to the changing toxicological landscape.
If a chemical company wants to register a new herbicide, for example, the EPA can ask that company to look into the possible links between lawn pesticides and birds. This involves answering a series of important questions. Does it hurt birds? Does it hurt other living things that aren’t the target? What happens if it gets into streams or rivers?
Sadly, the answers to these questions often are skirted, overlooked, or inadequate. When this happens, chemicals that are bad for people, birds, and other animals can end up on store shelves.
ABC wants the EPA to protect people and birds by closing regulatory holes, calling for stricter testing, and pulling the registration of some of the worst pesticides on the market. By going to our action center and telling Congress to limit the use of dangerous pesticides, you can help protect birds.
We don’t think you should use toxic pesticides at ABC because they are bad for birds and the environment as a whole. This includes the following commonly used lawn chemicals:
Neonicotinoids, or “neonics,” are a group of systemic insecticides that are widely used. Common active ingredients in this group are imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and dinotefuran. Neonics inhibit muscle contraction in garden pests, but also a wide range of other invertebrates, including pollinators. Because they are very water-soluble and have long half-lives, they can stay in groundwater, ponds, lakes, and streams for a long time. Making matters worse, neonics can be lethal to birds if ingested, even in small quantities.
Glyphosate — Glyphosate is an organophosphorus herbicide common in home applications. Glyphosate seeps into the groundwater and ends up in streams and ponds, where it is very dangerous for aquatic insects. Birds rely heavily on aquatic invertebrates such as caddisflies and mayflies, especially when rearing chicks.
Carbaryl is an insecticide in the carbamate family. Scientific tests have shown that it is very bad for human health. Carbaryl is a commonly identified agent of harm when it comes to lawn pesticides and birds. Despite this, it is commonly employed on lawns and green spaces across the country.
Systemic insecticides should not be used because they can get into a plant’s structure and affect everything from the stem and leaves to the pollen, nectar, and fruits. For example, the neonicotinoid imidacloprid is often used to cover seeds. When the plant sprouts and starts to grow, it absorbs the imidacloprid and builds it into its structure as it grows.
Synthetic pesticides can be bad for people’s health and for the plants and animals that gardeners want to grow and attract. We recommend using non-chemical means to control pests in your garden. Check our bird-safe tips below.
Weed by Hand—Gardeners can avoid using harsh chemicals on weeds by pulling them out by hand, and they can also keep a close eye on how their plants are doing. Regularly pulling weeds early and often can be helpful. It can also feed the compost pile, which then provides rich organic matter (natural fertilizer) for new plants.
Make your own pesticides. Weeds can be easily killed in the garden with a mixture of watered-down white vinegar, salt, and dish soap. Lawn Love has a recipe available here.
Use corn gluten to stop weeds from growing—corn gluten is a natural byproduct of corn that can be sprinkled on a garden to stop weeds from growing without hurting larger, more established plants.
Boiling water can be used to get rid of weeds on the pavement. To get rid of dandelions and other weeds growing between cracks in concrete, just pour boiling water on them. Be extra careful not to drip, spill, or burn.
Try using organic insecticides and lawn care companies. If natural biological controls need a little extra help, you could try insecticides made from essential oils, like those made by Jonathan Green.
Buy native plants—To make your yard or green space bird-friendly, plant native species that birds like and that help them survive. This great guide from the Xerces Invertebrate Conservation Society will help you find native plants that are good for pollinators and will grow well in your area.
In less than a single human lifetime, 2. 9 billion breeding adult birds have been lost from the United States and Canada, across every ecosystem. This includes familiar birds: The Dark-eyed Junco has lost an incredible 175 million individuals from its population. The White-throated Sparrow has lost 93 million.
Scientists have identified habitat loss as the biggest overall driver of bird declines. Habitat degradation is a second cause of losses. In this case, habitat doesn’t go away completely, but it becomes less suitable for birds to live in. This can happen when habitat is broken up or changed by invasive plants, or when water quality is lowered.
These problems are made worse by climate change, which also brings about new problems. For example, it changes where habitats are found and when birds can find the most food.
American Bird Conservancy and our Joint Venture partners have improved conservation management on 6. 4 million acres of U. S. bird habitat — an area larger than the state of Maryland — over the last ten years. Many people are needed to help with this huge project. You can do your part by giving today.
Policies enacted by Congress and federal agencies, such as the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have a huge impact on Americas birds. Tell lawmakers to put birds, bird habitat, and bird-friendly measures at the top of their list of priorities. This will help make these rules better. To get started, visit ABCs Action Center.
Finally, dont overlook the impact you can have at home. Living a bird-friendly life can have an immediate impact on the birds around you. To learn more, visit our Bird-Friendly Life page.
As a bird lover and gardener, you may wonder if common granular lawn fertilizers could pose a risk of poisoning to your feathered friends. Understanding bird behavior and using fertilizers carefully can help keep backyard birds safe.
Will Birds Purposefully Eat Fertilizer Granules?
In general, birds do not intentionally seek out and consume granular fertilizer pellets Here are some reasons why
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Fertilizer taste – The main ingredients in fertilizers, such as nitrogen phosphorus and potassium compounds, do not taste good or appeal to birds’ natural food preferences.
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Color and shape – Fertilizer granules look nothing like seeds or insects that birds naturally eat. The uniform pellets in fertilizer bags don’t resemble familiar foods.
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Smell – There is little odor to attract birds to fertilizer. Scents that birds do respond to, like nectar or rotting fruit, are absent.
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Texture – Hard fertilizer pellets are not something birds instinctively recognize as edible. They lack the soft textures of fruits, berries, or insects that birds seek out.
So when offered plain fertilizer granules, birds will not view it as a food source and will avoid ingesting it.
Can Accidental Ingestion of Fertilizer Occur?
While birds won’t intentionally eat plain fertilizer, there is a risk they could accidentally ingest it in certain situations:
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Granules get mixed in with seeds, grains, or other bird food on the ground. The bird eats the food and inadvertently gets fertilizer in their mouth as well.
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Fertilizer is applied heavily just before or during nesting season. Hungry parent birds scavenging for extra calcium could mistake white pellets for eggshell fragments or grit and swallow them.
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Young fledglings or nestlings not yet familiar with identifying food could accidentally ingest fertilizer granules if any are present in the nest.
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Heavy rain or irrigation washes granules into birdbaths and other water sources where birds drink.
So while deliberate fertilizer consumption is uncommon, accidental ingestion can happen depending on the circumstances in your yard.
Are Certain Fertilizers More Harmful to Birds?
If a bird does accidentally swallow fertilizer, some types are more toxic than others:
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Nitrogen fertilizers – Ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and urea-based fertilizers can irritate or burn a bird’s throat, mouth, and digestive tract. Even small amounts can cause chemical poisoning.
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Metal nutrient fertilizers – Sources of micronutrients like copper, zinc, and manganese sulfate can accumulate over time, leading to metal poisoning.
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Weed and feed products – These combination fertilizer-herbicide products pose the highest risk to birds if ingested. The pesticides and herbicides are extremely toxic.
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Quick-release fertilizers – Soluble synthetic fertilizers like ammonium phosphate release nutrients rapidly, increasing toxicity. Slow-release organic options are safer.
When possible, choose bird-safe organic fertilizers like compost, bone meal, blood meal, kelp meal, and alfalfa meal. Avoid using weed and feed products.
Preventing Accidental Fertilizer Ingestion by Birds
Here are some tips to use fertilizer safely around birds:
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Never apply fertilizer heavily just before or during nesting season when parent birds may scavenge desperately for extra calcium.
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Avoid spreading fertilizer in areas where birds are actively feeding. Apply it well away from feeders and bird baths.
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Water fertilizer immediately after application to help dissolve granules and wash a portion into the soil and away from the surface.
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Use a lawn sweep or blower shortly after fertilizing to gather and remove any leftover granules.
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Apply fertilizer just prior to a forecasted heavy rain to take advantage of the dissolving and washing effects of rainfall.
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Follow all package label instructions carefully, and never use more than the recommended amount of fertilizer per given area.
Signs of Fertilizer Poisoning in Birds
Look for these symptoms if you suspect a bird has ingested too much fertilizer:
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Weakness, lethargy, inability to fly/move normally
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Ruffled, unkempt feathers
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Head shaking due to mouth or throat irritation
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Vomiting, diarrhea
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Trouble breathing
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Tremors or seizures
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Sudden unexplained death
With proper precautions, you can fertilize your lawn, trees, and gardens safely around your backyard birds. Just be vigilant about cleaning up afterwards, keep fertilizer well away from food and water sources, and avoid over-application. Following organic options when possible is always the safest choice.
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A lot of conventional pesticides are sprayed and spread around the United States every year. They are used on everything from the food we eat to the grass we walk on and the plants in our gardens. Many of these chemicals stay in the soil and water for months or even years, killing more than just the pests we want to get rid of in the garden.
The impacts are staggering. Chemicals used in farming may hurt people and pets, and each year in the U.S. they may also kill up to 67 million wild birds. S. , though pinpointing the exact number is difficult.
This makes it hard for gardeners who want lots of crops and pretty flowers but don’t want to use harmful pesticides. The good news is that it can be done. Read on to find out more about how grass killers affect birds, how these chemicals are controlled, and how you can keep weeds down in a healthy garden that birds will enjoy.
For starters, lets talk about what a pesticide is. Pesticides includes insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, acaricides, and any other “-cide” you can think of. If the intent of a product is to eliminate a pest or plant disease, its a pesticide. There are a lot of different products in this group, from organic ones that are better for birds to the harshest synthetic ones.
Pesticide chemicals may impact birds by:
· poisoning birds when granules or coated berries and seeds are ingested;
· killing insects and other invertebrates crucial to birds and their young;
· eliminating plants necessary to bird survival;
· bioaccumulating in fish, mammals, and other prey, which may then pass into raptors;
· thinning eggshells and reducing chick weight;
· and suppressing immune systems and inhibiting movement.
Thats not all. Pesticides have long-term impacts that can affect birds and other wildlife well into the future. If such effects kill birds in a place over a sustained time period, these deaths could suppress localized populations for years to come.
Bird arent the only victims of dangerous pesticides. Workers on farms and in applicators who come into close contact with these chemicals can get rashes, neurological damage, and other health problems.
All pesticides in the United States, agricultural and otherwise, are registered through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and governed by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) of 1947. FIFRA has been amended multiple times over the years to adapt to the changing toxicological landscape.
If a chemical company wants to register a new herbicide, for example, the EPA can ask that company to look into the possible links between lawn pesticides and birds. This involves answering a series of important questions. Does it hurt birds? Does it hurt other living things that aren’t the target? What happens if it gets into streams or rivers?
Sadly, the answers to these questions often are skirted, overlooked, or inadequate. When this happens, chemicals that are bad for people, birds, and other animals can end up on store shelves.
ABC wants the EPA to protect people and birds by closing regulatory holes, calling for stricter testing, and pulling the registration of some of the worst pesticides on the market. By going to our action center and telling Congress to limit the use of dangerous pesticides, you can help protect birds.
We don’t think you should use toxic pesticides at ABC because they are bad for birds and the environment as a whole. This includes the following commonly used lawn chemicals:
Neonicotinoids, or “neonics,” are a group of systemic insecticides that are widely used. Common active ingredients in this group are imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and dinotefuran. Neonics inhibit muscle contraction in garden pests, but also a wide range of other invertebrates, including pollinators. Because they are very water-soluble and have long half-lives, they can stay in groundwater, ponds, lakes, and streams for a long time. Making matters worse, neonics can be lethal to birds if ingested, even in small quantities.
Glyphosate — Glyphosate is an organophosphorus herbicide common in home applications. Glyphosate seeps into the groundwater and ends up in streams and ponds, where it is very dangerous for aquatic insects. Birds rely heavily on aquatic invertebrates such as caddisflies and mayflies, especially when rearing chicks.
Carbaryl — A member of the carbamate family of insecticides, carbaryl has been shown to have severely adverse effects on human health. Carbaryl is a commonly identified agent of harm when it comes to lawn pesticides and birds. Despite this, it is commonly employed on lawns and green spaces across the country.
Avoid systemic insecticides: These insecticides can lodge within a plants physical structure, permeating everything from the stem and leaves to pollen, nectar, and fruits. The neonicotinoid imidacloprid, for instance, is often used as a seed coating; once the plant sprouts and begins growing, it absorbs the imidacloprid and incorporates it as it develops.
Synthetic pesticides can be bad for people’s health and for the plants and animals that gardeners want to grow and attract. We recommend using non-chemical means to control pests in your garden. Check our bird-safe tips below.
Weed by Hand—Gardeners can avoid using harsh chemicals on weeds by pulling them out by hand, and they can also keep a close eye on how their plants are doing. Regularly pulling weeds early and often can be helpful. It can also feed the compost pile, which then provides rich organic matter (natural fertilizer) for new plants.
Use DIY Pesticides — A mixture of diluted white vinegar, salt, and dish soap can be a fantastic way to rid your garden of weeds without synthetic chemicals. Lawn Love has a recipe available here.
Use corn gluten to stop weeds from growing—corn gluten is a natural byproduct of corn that can be sprinkled on a garden to stop weeds from growing without hurting larger, more established plants.
Boiling water can be used to get rid of weeds on the pavement. To get rid of dandelions and other weeds growing between cracks in concrete, just pour boiling water on them. Be extra careful not to drip, spill, or burn.
Try Organic Insecticides and Lawncare Companies — When natural biological controls need a bit of a boost, consider using essential-oil-derived insecticides, such as those by Jonathan Green.
Buy native plants—To make your yard or green space bird-friendly, plant native species that birds like and that help them survive. This great guide from the Xerces Invertebrate Conservation Society will help you find native plants that are good for pollinators and will grow well in your area.
Lawn pesticides arent the only threats birds face.
In less than a single human lifetime, 2. 9 billion breeding adult birds have been lost from the United States and Canada, across every ecosystem. This includes familiar birds: The Dark-eyed Junco has lost an incredible 175 million individuals from its population. The White-throated Sparrow has lost 93 million.
Scientists have identified habitat loss as the biggest overall driver of bird declines. Habitat degradation is a second cause of losses. In this case, habitat doesn’t go away completely, but it becomes less suitable for birds to live in. This can happen when habitat is broken up or changed by invasive plants, or when water quality is lowered.
These problems are made worse by climate change, which also brings about new problems. For example, it changes where habitats are found and when birds can find the most food.
We all can do our part to protect birds.
American Bird Conservancy and our Joint Venture partners have improved conservation management on 6. 4 million acres of U. S. bird habitat — an area larger than the state of Maryland — over the last ten years. Many people are needed to help with this huge project. You can do your part by giving today.
Policies enacted by Congress and federal agencies, such as the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have a huge impact on Americas birds. Tell lawmakers to put birds, bird habitat, and bird-friendly measures at the top of their list of priorities. This will help make these rules better. To get started, visit ABCs Action Center.
Finally, dont overlook the impact you can have at home. Living a bird-friendly life can have an immediate impact on the birds around you. To learn more, visit our Bird-Friendly Life page.
| Hardy Kern is ABCs Director of Government Relations, Birds and Pesticides Campaign. |
More From Bird Calls Blog
Granular VS Liquid Fertilizer: What’s The Difference And How To Use Them
FAQ
What are the cons of granular fertilizer?
Will chickens eat fertilizer granules?
Is turf builder safe for birds?
Is lawn fertilizer safe for squirrels?
Is fertilizer bad for birds?
A healthy, green lawn is the perfect place for kids to play, dogs to run around, and parties to be hosted. The key to a healthy lawn is regular fertilization. However, some people are concerned that the fertilizer they spread on their lawn may have harmful effects on local wildlife, specifically birds.
Can birds eat fertilizer?
Two types of fertilizer ingredients are particularly hazardous to birds: Fertilizers high in nitrogen like ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and urea are acutely toxic to birds. When ingested, the nitrogen compounds break down into ammonia. Ammonia burns and damages tissues, especially in the mouth, throat, and digestive tract.
How do you get birds to eat pellets?
Use organic natural fertilizers like compost or bone meal when possible. Apply only recommended fertilizer amounts – excess can easily wash into waterways. Rake any scattered pellets back into soil – don’t allow them to accumulate on bare ground. Avoid spreading fertilizer where birds are actively feeding.
Are lawn pesticides killing birds?
Lawn pesticides aren’t the only threats birds face. In less than a single human lifetime, 2.9 billion breeding adult birds have been lost from the United States and Canada, across every ecosystem. This includes familiar birds: The Dark-eyed Junco has lost an incredible 175 million individuals from its population.
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