Did you know Rufous Hummingbirds in Southern BC are declining? Pesticides may be the cause.

Christine Bishop is studying the effect of pesticides on declining Rufous Hummingbirds in the Fraser Valley and Southern BC. She found that the same pesticides that are proven to kill Bees have been found in extremely high concentrations in the urine of Rufous Hummingbirds. She fears that the insecticides, may affect their memory and prevent them from finding food.

 The Rufous population on the Pacific Coast has dropped an average of 2.67% per year.

 She has presented her findings to Health Canada but her study is not complete for 3 more years. Health Canada said they would publish their findings in 2018. 

 If insecticides can kill off Hummers, what can it do to us? We should be very concerned, not just for us and the Hummers but for the Bees, that affect the whole food chain. 

 We need to push our MP's to put pressure on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada to thoroughly investigate this. Our health and the environment's is at stake. How sad a world it would be, if we lost the Rufous Hummingbird.





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