Research on the risk of neonicotinoid-treated seeds for birds is still scarce in South America. We addressed this issue using field data from 43 commercial fields to quantify the density of unburied seeds after sowing maize, sorghum, and soybean. Along transects with equidistant sampling points (0.25 m² metal rings), we counted unburied seeds, collected samples for residue analysis, and recorded field characteristics. We assessed bird species richness and abundance in 25 fields using 250 m strip transects. We necropsied 200 donated Eared Doves (Zenaida auriculata) to analyze diet and another 200 to detect neonicotinoid residues. Unburied seed density varied by crop (soybean>sorghum>maize) and field sector (headlands>field center) and was influenced by contour curves, soil cover, contracted sowing, seed metering, and sowing density. Richness of seed-eating birds was higher in headlands and increased with unburied seed density; abundance was highest in maize fields. Imidacloprid was detected in seeds of all three crops. Maize, sorghum, and soybean seeds were found in the doves´ gastrointestinal tract. The refined toxicity-exposure ratio (TER) was < 10 for maize and/or sorghum, indicating a high risk of acute intoxication. Our findings support re-evaluating seed treatment to reduce bird exposure to neonicotinoids and foster more sustainable farming in South America.

Acceso al Repositorio INTA Digital

Autores:
Laura Addy-Orduna a,*, Paula Muñoz a, Pablo R. Camarero b , Sebastián Dardanelli c,d , Sonia Canavelli a, Rafael Mateo b,e
a Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná, Ruta 11 km 12.5, Paraná, Entre Ríos 3100, Argentina
b Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, Ciudad Real 13071, Spain
c Centro de Investigación Científica y de Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción (CICYTTP), CONICET–UADER, España 149, Diamante, Entre Ríos 3105, Argentina
d Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Argentina
e Instituto de Diagnóstico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, Barcelona 08034, Spain

Keywords:
Wildlife toxicology
Insecticides
Hazard
Pesticide residues
Contamination
Agricultural sustainability

Corresponding author
E-mail address: [email protected] (L. Addy-Orduna).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.139089
Received 31 March 2025; Received in revised form 20 June 2025; Accepted 26 June 2025
Available online 27 June 2025
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