In Brussels and Florence, people began to express concern over the rising finds of dead newborn birds (tits) in their nests.

When these concerned people notified the bird conservation association Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen and the ecological gardening association Velt, they began a crowd-funded investigation. Over 1000 people sent in dead tits and nests, which were analyzed and a report was published with shocking results.

When 1101 nests were analyzed, most contained DDT. Photo: SOS Mezen

“We found a total of 36 different pesticides in 95 mesh nests,” Geert Gommers, a pesticide expert said in a statement.

The birds’ nests revealed traces of 36 different fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and biocides. The alarm came when they found traces of DDT, an insecticide banned since 1974, in 89 of the 95 nests examined.

“That DDT is still present in our environment after all this time is worrying,” the statement read.

“The tits were two weeks old at the most and had never been outside their nest…These results do not make us happy, especially because almost all nests contain one or more pesticides,” Gommers wrote.

Further research is needed to establish a link between increased tit mortality and pesticides. It is noted that some of the pesticides found in the nests had a “high” risk rating for birds.

Does anyone remember the “canary in the coal mine?”

The full report can be found here.