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A report published by Laidback Gardener on Oct. 4 says birds of prey are increasingly present in Canadian neighborhoods, following decades of recovery after pesticide-related declines. It cites a national population index increase of about 35% from 1970 to 2022, while warning that rodenticides and other pesticides can affect predators through contaminated prey. The report does not present a new field study; it uses existing figures to discuss garden practices and pesticide policy.
A Laidback Gardener report published Oct. 4 describes birds of prey returning to Canadian neighborhoods and gardens, while pointing to pesticide exposure through prey as an ongoing risk. The report cites a roughly 35% rise in Canada’s bird-of-prey population index from 1970 to 2022 and argues that household decisions about pest control can affect animals higher up the food web.
The report describes a familiar backyard scene: small birds leave a feeder when a hawk appears overhead. Cooper’s hawks can hunt small birds around gardens and feeders, while owls and hawks also use the rodents and open or wooded spaces found in and around developed areas. Peregrine falcons can nest on buildings, bridges and towers that function like cliffs. The report presents these examples as signs that predators are again part of some urban ecosystems, not as evidence that every garden will attract them.
The figures cited point to a sharp reversal from the mid-20th century. The report says DDT and related organochlorine pesticides accumulated through food webs and that DDE, a DDT breakdown product, thinned eggshells in several bird species. By the mid-1970s, peregrine falcons had nearly disappeared from eastern and southeastern Canada, according to the report. Canada began phasing out DDT uses in the 1970s; species and nesting-site protections, captive breeding and reintroduction efforts also contributed to recovery.
The report also cites research on anticoagulant rodenticides. In southern Ontario, the substances were detected in 62% of 133 birds of prey collected dead or injured and examined. In British Columbia, 74% of 741 birds studied had been exposed to at least one second-generation anticoagulant. These are findings from the examined birds, not estimates of exposure across all birds of prey in either province. The report says exposure was associated with proximity to residential areas.
Garden Choices Reach Predators
The return of predators makes the effects of garden pest control visible beyond the target organism. A rodenticide may poison prey that is later eaten by a hawk or owl; insecticides can affect other organisms as well as the pests they are intended to control. Removing prey can also reduce the food available to predators. The cited studies establish exposure among the examined birds, but do not show that every exposed bird became ill or died.
The report’s broader point is that a garden is part of a food web, not just a collection of plants and preferred wildlife. Caterpillars feed birds, rodents feed owls, and leaf litter supports organisms that become food for others. Allowing some leaf damage or fallen leaves can leave more habitat and food for wildlife. The report also says predators can help regulate some prey populations, including mice, voles and pigeons; it does not claim that predators alone control those populations.
For readers, the practical issue is whether a treatment is needed and what else could be affected. Before using a pesticide, the report recommends considering the level of damage and asking what eats the organism being targeted. This is not a claim that all pest treatments have the same effects: the products differ, and risks depend on the substance, its use and exposure.
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From DDT Declines to Recovery
The report sets today’s sightings against the earlier decline of several birds of prey. DDT was used as an insecticide and persisted in the environment, building up as it moved through food chains. Its breakdown product DDE was linked to thinner eggshells and poorer reproductive success in affected bird species. By the 1970s, concern over these effects had helped prompt restrictions and a gradual Canadian phaseout of DDT uses.
Recovery followed a combination of measures, not one intervention alone. The report credits pesticide restrictions alongside habitat and species protection, captive breeding and reintroduction programs. It describes the Canadian population-index increase of about 35% between 1970 and 2022 as part of that return, while noting that other groups of birds declined over the same broad period. A rising index for birds of prey does not mean all wildlife is recovering or that ecosystems are free of pressure.
The report also points to a 2026 amendment to Canada’s Pest Control Products Act, saying it allows factors including economic and food security to be considered and that exceptional authorizations or reinstated registrations may be possible despite an environmental risk deemed unacceptable. The article does not give the amendment’s detailed provisions or identify a particular authorization. That policy reference is relevant because pesticide decisions can shape risks beyond farms, including in residential areas.
“Your garden is a network.”
— Laidback Gardener report
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What Exposure Figures Show
The cited Ontario and British Columbia percentages apply to birds that researchers examined, including birds collected dead or injured in Ontario; they are not population-wide exposure rates. The report does not provide study dates, full methods or details about how exposure affected the birds’ health. It also does not identify the underlying studies in the supplied material, so readers cannot assess their sampling methods from the report alone.
The report’s reference to the 2026 law amendment does not specify which pesticide registrations or exceptional circumstances may be affected, or how often such decisions might occur. It also offers no new survey of garden sightings. The national population-index figure describes a broad trend through 2022; it cannot establish how many birds of prey currently visit any particular neighborhood or garden.
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Watch Policy and Garden Practice
The report points to two areas to watch: how pesticide rules are applied and how residents manage pests at home. It does not announce a new study, regulatory decision or scheduled review. Future details about individual pesticide authorizations, including any environmental assessments, would help clarify how the 2026 amendment is being used.
For gardeners, the report’s immediate advice is to assess actual damage before treating and consider whether a pest has natural predators. Where a pesticide is used, its label directions and safety precautions should govern its application. The larger issue remains whether practices meant to protect plants also expose wildlife that feeds on the organisms being controlled.
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Key Questions
Are birds of prey becoming more common in Canada?
The Laidback Gardener report cites an increase of about 35% in Canada’s bird-of-prey population index from 1970 to 2022. That national trend does not show how common raptors are in every region or garden today.
Why did some birds of prey decline in the past?
The report says DDT and its breakdown product DDE accumulated through food webs and thinned eggshells in several bird species, reducing reproductive success. Restrictions on DDT, along with protection and recovery programs, contributed to later gains.
Can rodent poison affect hawks and owls?
Yes, predators may be exposed when they eat contaminated prey. The report cites anticoagulant exposure in birds examined in Ontario and British Columbia, but those study samples do not establish exposure rates for all birds in either province.
Does a hawk in the garden mean the ecosystem is healthy?
Not by itself. The report describes raptors as part of a food web and says their return does not mean that all ecosystem problems have been resolved.
What can gardeners do before treating pests?
Consider whether the damage warrants treatment and what animals feed on the organism being targeted. If a pesticide is used, follow its label and safety directions; the report also recommends tolerating some minor damage and fallen leaves where practical.
Source: rss
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