Have you ever really thought about the role birds play in our environment? They are beautiful creatures that most of us love to watch and hear, yet they are also a key part of the environment, often necessary for our survival, and frequently neglected, ignored and exploited. Birds are also frequently used by communities as an indicator of environmental health. Do not forget that some birds have been domesticated and are now major food sources for a large portion of the world's population.

A few ecological roles birds, some of which are important to humans, the environment and agriculture:

However, as we reduce the natural habitat, they come under increasing pressure for survival and come into contacts with new threats to their survival e.g. reduced breeding habit, less nesting sites, hunting, and pesticides. Birds often also come in to contact with agriculture as we continually increase the area we farm. This can result in birds been seen as pests for a number of different reasons. One is that they are provided with an alternate food source that is easy to obtain and tends to be concentrate in a relatively small area. Another reason is that we reduce their habit and hence there natural supply of food and have to look further afield for alternate food sources.

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