Endangered cockatoos feeding on 'chemical cocktail' in WA's Wheatbelt

Endangered Carnaby's black cockatoos in Western Australia's Wheatbelt region are consuming a "chemical cocktail" of pesticides from seed spills near grain silos, alarming researchers. A three-year study by Murdoch University PhD candidate Zoe Kissane, which involved GPS tagging wild cockatoos and analyzing collected seed samples, revealed significant pesticide residue in their food sources.

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

The study found that 80% of the seed samples contained at least one chemical, with half containing three or more. In total, 26 different pesticides were identified, including ten neurotoxins. Kissane noted that the levels of some pesticides were "well above" regulatory limits, in some cases hundreds of times higher than accepted levels for food or animal feed.

"It really highlighted that there's a bit of a chemical cocktail that these birds are being exposed to," Kissane stated. She expressed concern that these hazards pose a risk not only to wildlife but potentially to humans as well. The findings are particularly significant given the ongoing issue of Carnaby's hindlimb paralysis syndrome, which has affected the species since 2012, causing neurological symptoms like delayed reactions and paralysis.

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These hazards are out there and it's not just wildlife, but also humans that are potentially at risk. That was quite alarming.

Researchers have long suspected that pesticides contribute to this syndrome. Kissane's discovery of neurotoxins in the birds' foraging areas is a crucial step in establishing a link. "These results point to specific pesticides that may be contributing to [the syndrome], providing us with new insight," she said. The study also revealed that the birds repeatedly returned to sites with chemical residues, increasing their risk of chronic exposure.

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

Kissane hopes her research will encourage Australia to re-evaluate its pesticide regulations and usage. She pointed out that many pesticides still in use in Australia are restricted or banned in Europe, the UK, and North America due to health concerns for both humans and wildlife. The Carnaby's black cockatoo is listed as an endangered species.

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That was quite alarming because birds would continue to go back to sites that had chemical pesticide residues at them. There's that increased risk then of continual chronic exposure to these substances.