Wild bird feeding is one of the few instances in which humans are able to connect with nature, especially as bird biodiversity continues declining and urban human populations keep increasing. There is currently limited scientific literature regarding the safety of commercial wild bird feed. Consequently, the potential risks associated with pesticide residues remain unknown. As a result, this study aims to perform a pesticide multiresidue analysis on commercially sold bird feed. Commercial bird seeds were bought from stores around Ithaca, New York. A total of N=68 bags from 23 products of bird seed were purchased. The seed types consisted of bird feed mixes(n=13), black oil sunflower seeds(n=14), and sunflower chips & hearts(n=15). Small samples from each bag were obtained for pesticide analysis. Our study revealed that some wild bird feed has residues from one or more of the 95 pesticides studied in the Cornell Chemical Ecology Core Facility. Our preliminary analysis detected fungicides and insecticides across the samples, with the synergist piperonyl butoxide appearing in most. Our result showcases that commercial birdfeed can contain residues that may be harmful to wild birds.
