Daily Mail
August 7, 2018
Female starlings who have ingested antidepressants in Britain’s water systems are more likely to be ignored or attacked by males.
Researchers say worms and other insects are passing the drugs on to the birds after picking them up at sewage works – a popular feeding ground for starlings.
The contaminants may make females less attractive to males because they make the birds more lethargic, researchers said.
The problem means males are less likely to sing to contaminated females and could be killing off one of Britain’s best loved native songbirds.
Dr Kathryn Arnold, of the University of York, said: ‘Here is the first evidence that low concentrations of an antidepressant can disrupt the courtship of songbirds.
‘This is important because animals that are slow to find a mate often won’t get to breed.
‘With many wildlife populations in decline, we have to ask whether more could be done to remove chemical contaminants like pharmaceuticals from our sewage.’
This article was posted: Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 8:07 am
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