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A report published by Laidback Gardener on Oct. 4 describes the return of birds of prey to Canadian cities and gardens, alongside a national population index increase of about 35% between 1970 and 2022. The recovery followed restrictions on DDT and conservation work, but research cited in the report found anticoagulant exposure in many examined raptors in Ontario and British Columbia. The figures describe sampled birds, not all birds of prey in those provinces.
A Laidback Gardener report published Oct. 4 describes birds of prey returning to Canadian neighborhoods and gardens, while warning that pesticide use can expose the predators to poison through their prey. Canada’s bird-of-prey population index rose by about 35% between 1970 and 2022, according to the report, which links the recovery to restrictions on DDT, species protection and reintroduction work.
Hawks may hunt small birds gathered at feeders, while owls and other raptors can find rodents in yards and nearby open spaces. The report says peregrine falcons have also adapted to urban settings, using buildings, bridges and towers as substitutes for cliffs. Their presence is part of the same ecological network as garden birds, insects, rodents and plants—not separate from it.
The report describes a sharp reversal from the mid-20th century, when DDT and other organochlorine pesticides harmed birds of prey. DDT persisted in the environment and accumulated through food webs. Its breakdown product DDE could thin eggshells, lowering reproductive success. By the mid-1970s, peregrine falcons had nearly disappeared from eastern and southeastern Canada, according to the report.
Canada gradually phased out DDT uses beginning in the 1970s. The report says those restrictions, along with protection of species and nesting sites, captive breeding and reintroduction, contributed to raptor recovery. It also cites research on anticoagulant rodenticides: the compounds were detected in 62% of 133 dead or injured birds examined in southern Ontario, while 74% of 741 birds studied in British Columbia had been exposed to at least one second-generation anticoagulant. These are findings from the examined samples, not estimates of exposure among every raptor in either region.
Pesticides Can Reach Garden Raptors
The return of predators can be a visible sign that habitats and food sources support more than the species people deliberately attract. It also puts garden decisions into a wider frame: a chemical intended for rodents or insects may affect other animals, including predators that eat contaminated prey. The report says exposure to second-generation anticoagulants in the British Columbia study was associated with proximity to residential areas, making household and garden pest control relevant to the issue.
Raptors also depend on prey populations. Removing insects, rodents or other animals can reduce food available to predators, while poison can travel through the food web. Hawks and owls may help regulate some prey populations, the report says, but their presence does not prove that every part of an ecosystem is healthy. For gardeners, the practical point is to consider whether treatment is necessary, what organisms could be affected and what eats the target pest.
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From DDT Decline to Recovery
The report places today’s return against the effects of DDT, an insecticide that persisted and accumulated in living organisms. As contaminated prey were eaten by predators, concentrations could increase higher in the food web. DDE-related eggshell thinning reduced breeding success in several bird species, contributing to population collapses.
Restrictions and conservation programs helped reverse that damage over time. The reported 35% increase in Canada’s bird-of-prey population index compares 1970 with 2022; it is an index change, not a count of individual birds. The report also notes a 2026 amendment to the federal Pest Control Products Act allowing factors such as economic and food security to be considered. It says some pesticides may be authorized or have registration reinstated in exceptional circumstances despite an environmental risk deemed unacceptable. The report does not detail particular authorizations.
“Your garden is a network.”
— Laidback Gardener report
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Recovery Does Not Mean Safety
The national index increase does not show that every species or region recovered equally, and the report does not provide the index methodology or species-by-species results. The rodenticide percentages refer to birds collected dead or injured in one study and birds examined in another; they cannot establish how common exposure is across all raptors in Ontario or British Columbia, or prove that exposure caused each bird’s condition.
The report also does not identify specific pesticides newly authorized under the 2026 law amendment, explain how often exceptional approvals might occur or describe the full effect of the amendment on environmental protections. It notes that protections are being challenged in the United States but supplies no further detail. The future effects of policy changes and household pesticide use on raptors remain uncertain.
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Garden Choices and Policy Ahead
For gardeners, the report recommends checking whether a pest is causing meaningful damage before treating it, and considering what other organisms could be exposed or depend on it for food. Where treatment is necessary, gardeners should follow the product label and use the protective equipment it specifies. The report also points to tolerating some chewed leaves and fallen foliage as ways to leave food and shelter for wildlife.
At the policy level, the consequences of the 2026 amendment and any related pesticide decisions remain to be seen. The report offers no specific next approval, review date or government action. Continued monitoring of raptor populations and pesticide exposure would help clarify whether recovery can persist alongside current pesticide use.
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Key Questions
Are birds of prey becoming more common in Canada?
The report says Canada’s bird-of-prey population index rose about 35% from 1970 to 2022. That national index comparison does not establish that every species or region experienced the same change.
Why did DDT harm birds of prey?
DDT persisted in the environment and accumulated through food webs. Its breakdown product, DDE, could thin eggshells and reduce reproductive success in several bird species.
What did the rodenticide studies find?
The report cites anticoagulant detection in 62% of 133 dead or injured raptors examined in southern Ontario and exposure to at least one second-generation anticoagulant in 74% of 741 birds studied in British Columbia. Those sample results are not population-wide estimates.
Should gardeners stop treating pests?
The report does not call for a blanket ban on treatment. It recommends considering whether intervention is needed, how much damage the pest is causing and what wildlife may eat it. Any pesticide used should be applied according to its label, including its protective-equipment instructions.
Source: rss
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