CONSERVE BENEFICIAL BIRDS IN AGRI-LANDSCAPES: PAU

LUDHIANA, JULY 18:-----



"Birds are integral component of agricultural and forest eco-systems. Agricultural habitat provides different types of foods i.e. grains, insects, invertebrates and rodents in addition to nesting materials to the bird species. In recent years, crop intensification has resulted in habitat destruction and over dominance of some species (mostly grainivorous) in the bird community," observed the zoologists of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). Various aspects of agricultural intensification like mechanization and excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, have witnessed the decline of farmland birds across the country and globe, they added. In Europe, nearly 45% of the bird species have declined across 20 European countries over a 26 year period with farmland birds being worst hit, disclosed they, saying that the threat of habitat destruction is leading to bird population decline in India and other Asian countries.



Dr Tejdeep Kaur Kler of PAU said that before the advent of chemical pesticides, birds did the job of scanning large tracts of agricultural lands for pests such insects and rodents. She told that the important insectivorous bird species include Black Drongo, Cattle Egret, Pond Heron, Black Ibis, Redwattled Lapwing, Little Green Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Hoopoe, Common Swallow, Shrike, Common Myna, etc. The important rodentivorous bird species are Spotted Owlet, Barn Owl, Pariah Kite, etc., she added, highlighting that these avian species can help in keeping insect population in agricultural area at a stable balanced level, benefiting the eco-system.



Another expert, Dr Manoj Kumar said that wooden nest boxes can be deployed for promotion and conservation of beneficial species like Common Myna, Spotted Owlet, Indian Robin and Magpie Robin in the residential and field areas. A space should be provided to the birds so that they can have an access to diversity of environment contributing to a varied food supply, safety from predators and nest building, he said. Emphasizing that the need of the hour is to manage and conserve the beneficial birds in agricultural landscapes, he said that the goal in agriculture should be the production of high-quality food and fiber at low cost and with minimal deleterious effect on humans, bird diversity and environment.
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