Schubot Center Investigates Neonicotinoid Exposure in Wild Turkeys

In a new grant awarded by the National Wild Turkey Federation to Schubot members Sarah Hamer, Meredith Anderson and Gabriel Hamer, the team will investigate whether wild turkeys in Texas, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana and Missouri are being exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides across their range. This work unites researchers in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to collaborate with turkey biologists across several states.

The research is using donated blood and liver samples from licensed hunters, with the goal to assess the prevalence and geographic distribution of exposure, building on previous findings where nearly one‑third of apparently healthy Texas songbirds tested positive for neonicotinoids.

Neonicotinoids—widely used in agriculture and pest control— provide great benefits in the agricultural and veterinary industry. There research is addressing a need outlined by turkey managers to understand if turkeys may contact these chemicals which persist in the environment. If so, the team will begin to understand if there are any health consequences associated with those exposures.

Turkey are considered an indicator species for ecosystem health. By identifying patterns of potential exposure and hotspots, this study seeks to inform if future research on these compounds is warranted from a conservation perspective.