The Importance of Birds in our Environment

Nature is one of our biggest gifts. Animals, birds, plants, and trees all play a very important role in preserving our environment. Birds have been around for centuries, helping humanity and keeping us safe. Different countries have different types of birds that work in tandem with the weather, climate, and conditions to maintain our natural beauty. Birds play a major role in mankind’s survival and preservation.

Imagining a world without birds is scary. Birds are a very big part of the natural ecosystem. They have functions, roles, and tasks that most of us aren’t even aware of. Did you know that birds are an important part of plant reproduction? There is a reason why scientists and researchers fight for endangered species of birds. If birds vanish, then our entire system can fall, including humans.

Bird pollinators such as hummingbirds contribute to help plants reproduce. In hotter climates such as South Africa, a quarter of Salvia species are bird pollinated. About 5% of plants used by humans for food or medicines are pollinated by birds. If birds weren’t around to pollinate plants, several plant species would actually go extinct.

The natural ecosystem is a delicate and fragile one. Every plant, bird, animal, and insect has a role to play. Take one factor out of the equation and the entire system crumbles to dust. Birds maintain the balance between predator and prey or herbivores and carnivores. Cordgrass grows abundantly in the south-eastern marshes of USA. It’s job is to filter local water and prevent coastal erosion. Tiny species of snails love to eat cordgrass and graze it quickly and regularly. If birds like curlews or oystercatchers weren’t around to eat these snails, then the snail population would explode, eating cordgrass, and leaving the marsh open to erosion.

Birds are science’s first gatekeepers. Look at any climate change related issues, birds and their reactions act as warnings for those. They have inspired scientists to create and innovate. The notion of flying and flight was due to birds and their ability to fly. Darwin’s theory of evolution was based on studying finches in Galapagos.

When birds fly, they carry seeds they have eaten and dispose of them through their droppings. These seeds spread and grow into plants and trees. They have capability to carry seeds across to new land masses or different continents and regions. 70% of New Zealand’s forest plantation is due to the seeds dispersed by birds. Birds are used to create new ecosystems or repair the damage caused by forest fires or deforestation.

Birds act as nature’s scavengers. Vultures are considered an ill omen or a sign of despair. However the role they play is very important. They arrive within an hour of death and efficiently dispose remains. If vultures ceased to exist, the decaying remains would cause diseases such as tuberculosis, rabies, and increase population of feral dogs and rats. Excess of those species can cause a terror in the human and animal population, causing deaths and further disease.

Studies have shown that birds eat anywhere between 400-500 million tons of insects a year. Birds are an excellent method of pest control. Nest boxes or birds are a natural method of pest control preferred by farmers or agricultural experts. In forests across the Americas, certain species of birds have been known to reduce the insect population, effectively saving $1,820 of pest control per square kilometer!

You may be annoyed by loud seagulls or guano at the beach, but you would definitely be affected if they didn’t exist. Seabirds help fertilize marine ecosystems and cycle nutrients. Seabirds travel hundreds and hundreds of kilometers to feed and when they return they deposit guano in colonies. This guano drains in the ocean, fertilizing marine systems and coral reefs. When this process is disrupted, other animals such as rats and fishes explode in population, overburdening the system and causing coral reefs to die.

Birds provide critical resources for other animals and species. Woodpeckers create cavities that are used by other animals and birds. Some flies are only able to live in bird feathers. Mites use birds to travel from plant to plant.

These scientific and natural reasons aside, birds are a source of food and nutrition for humans and other animals. Their eggs sustain human beings and provide us with the required vitamins and minerals. Birds provide us with beauty and song. They are visually stunning and have a rich tapestry of colors. The lyrical singing and chirping of birds is something the world will miss if they vanish. Birds are beautiful and kept as pets, though that is unfair as they don’t like to be caged. They act as biological barometers, weather warning systems, and the forest’s watchmen. Understand birds and you can understand nature in its raw, potent form.