Study Finds High Pesticide Levels in Grain Eaten by Endangered Cockatoos

A three-year study has found that endangered Carnaby's black cockatoos in Western Australia's Wheatbelt are exposed to multiple pesticides when feeding on spilled grain near silos. Murdoch University PhD candidate Zoe Kissane fitted GPS tags on wild birds and collected seed samples from their foraging sites. The samples were screened for chemical residue.

The study detected 26 different pesticides across the sites, including ten neurotoxins. About 80 percent of seed samples contained at least one chemical, and at least half contained three or more. Some concentrations exceeded maximum regulatory limits for humans and animal feed, in some cases by hundreds of times.

"It really highlighted that there's a bit of a chemical cocktail that these birds are being exposed to," Kissane said.

Since 2012, Carnaby's black cockatoos have shown neurological symptoms including delayed reactions, weakness, and paralysis. Researchers had suspected pesticides as a contributing factor. The presence of neurotoxins in foraging areas provides new data for investigating a possible link.

"These results point to specific pesticides that may be contributing to [the syndrome], providing us with new insight," Kissane said.

Kissane said the findings could prompt Australia to reassess pesticide regulation and use. She noted that many pesticides still permitted in Australia are already restricted or banned in parts of Europe, the UK, and North America. Simple measures such as removing grain spills around silos and tightening rules on grain transport could reduce exposure for the birds.