When does a bird sing? When it's not on antidepressants.

Male starlings sang less and were more aggressive towards females who had been given small doses of the antidepressant fluoxetine, commonly known as Prozac, researchers at the University of York found.

They believe the study – to be published in the journal Chemosphere – shows such changes in behaviour could put songbirds at risk in the wild.

"Here is the first evidence that low concentrations of an antidepressant can disrupt the courtship of songbirds," said Kathryn Arnold, from the university's environment department.

"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."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/antidepressants-change-songbirds-courtship-rituals-uk-study-005438198.html