I am delighted to share a preprint of our recent research study showing that veterinary ectoparasiticides are present in Great Tit (Parus major) nests not only in urban habitats but also in a protected forest, highlighting companion animal treatments as a previously under-recognised pathway of pesticide exposure in wild birds.
Highlights
- Veterinary ectoparasiticides were detected in urban and forest Great Tit nests
- Urban nests contained higher contamination levels and greater compound diversity
- Acetamiprid occurred only in urban nests, indicating additional environmental inputs
- Protected forests also exposed to imidacloprid, fipronil sulfone and permethrin
- Bird nests reveal an overlooked pathway linking pet treatments to wildlife exposure
Funded by the Research Fellowship Programme (025-2.1.1-EKÖP-2025-00029/112) of Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary from the National Fund for Research, Development and Innovatio