I was pleased to read Stephen Moss’s account of blue tits starting to sing in his garden as they gear up for nesting season (Birdwatch: Blue tits are feisty and fascinating but often taken for granted, 11 March). But while blue tits remain a familiar sight, they, along with many other garden birds, now face a growing number of hidden threats in the very place we imagine them to be safest: our gardens.
Scientific research funded by SongBird Survival has shown how everyday gardening choices can have serious consequences. Around a third of UK gardeners use pesticides, and our studies found that house sparrow numbers, for example, were nearly 40% lower in gardens where the pesticide metaldehyde was used.
By reducing pesticide use, you can actively encourage birds back into your outdoor spaces, as they rely on invertebrates such as slugs and snails as natural prey. You can take this one step further. Planting shrubs and flowers that provide natural food sources throughout the year is far safer than supplementary feeding, which can unintentionally increase the spread of disease among garden birds.
Our research has also revealed unexpected risks from pets. Many well‑meaning owners leave fur from recently groomed pets for birds to use in nest building. We discovered residues of highly toxic pesticides from pet flea treatments inside the nests of blue tits and great tits, revealing another unseen hazard within the garden environment.
If we want our gardens to keep ringing with birdsong, small changes in how we garden and care for pets can make a real difference.
Sue Morgan
CEO, SongBird Survival
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