Pesticide use by British gardeners is playing a significant role in the declining populations of our songbirds, as shown by the first study of its kind, published in Science Of The Total Environment. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Sussex, shows that gardeners who use pesticides can expect to see fewer birds. This is especially true of house sparrows, whose numbers were 25 percent lower in gardens where commonly-available glyphosate was used (known by their brand names such as Roundup or Gallup). However, the research confirms positive news that providing bird-friendly habitats in gardens increased the number of species recorded, and the abundance of individual species.
The study, supported by charity, SongBird Survival, drew on data gathered by the British Trust for Ornithology which organises Garden BirdWatch – a citizen science garden bird recording scheme. It examined information on pesticide use and garden management from 615 garden owners. The owners recorded which brands or products they used, revealing that 32 percent of gardens used pesticides, and that glyphosate-based herbicides made up over half of those applications (53 percent). In gardens where metaldehyde slug pellets were used, house sparrow numbers were down by almost 40 percent.
Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex, Prof Dave Goulson, known for his work on bee ecology and insect-friendly gardening, supervised the research.
Professor Goulson of the School of Life Sciences, at the University of Sussex explains: “The UK has 22 million gardens, which collectively could be a fantastic refuge for wildlife, but not if they are overly tidy and sprayed with poisons. We just don’t need pesticides in our gardens. Many towns around the world are now pesticide free. We should simply ban use of these poisons in urban areas, following the example of France.”
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Posted On: 06/02/2023