Tracking equipment to test the effects of pesticides on migration movements of wild birds and butterflies

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Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticide in the world and have been linked to rapid declines in domesticated bee populations, leading to global concern around pollinator health and food security. Neonicotinoids are applied primarily as a seed coating but only about 5% of the chemical is absorbed by the plant while the remainder contaminates the soil and water and persists for years in the environment. Other than bees, very little is known about the sublethal effects of neonicotinoids on other species that occupy agricultural habitat such as migratory birds and butterflies. Studies of captive songbirds have found that other contaminants (acephate, PCBs) disrupt migration orientation but neonicotinoids have not yet been tested. In this novel research, we use innovative tracking technology to test the effects of neonicotinoids on the migratory movements of White-crowned Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, and Monarch Butterflies. Animals will be equipped with a miniature coded NanoTag (< 1g) device that can be detected (within ~5 km) by the existing and extensive network of dozens of 'MOTUS' automated radio-telemetry towers that blanket southwestern Ontario. The equipment requested, NanoTags and manual receivers, will support three collaborative projects across three universities. First, our pilot studies have shown that, in captivity, White-crowned Sparrows exposed to even small doses of imadacloprid, significantly reduce activity and lose body mass. To conduct field tests, individuals will be caught on spring migration and experimental birds will be treated with a very small but environmentally relevant oral dose of imadacloprid. Migration orientation, compared to control birds, will be monitored first in captivity using a standard ‘Emlen’ funnel test and then in the wild using NanoTags to track migration movements after release. Second, we are studying the effects of neonicotinoids on Savannah Sparrows by tracking the post-fledging dispersal movements and onset of fall migration in tagged juveniles that originated from corn/soybean farms using neonicotinoids vs natural meadows. Imadacloprid levels are tested in nestling fecal samples as well as soil and insect samples, and we will test if higher exposure to neonicotinoids has a negative effect on dispersal movements or delays onset of fall migration. Third, we will use NanoTags to track the migration orientation of Monarch Butterflies that have been reared on neonicotinoid treated plants versus control plants. These studies are urgently needed to identify drivers of population declines and to inform neonicotinoid regulations. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is scheduled to complete a full re-evaluation of neonicotinoids over the next two years; it is important that our research be completed and included in the PMRA assessment and recommendations because we address non-target animals other than bees.