Why are birds important?

For a conservation point of view, it is important to understand why birds are important in order to understand why it is imperative to conserve and protect them.

Birds are important for the following reasons:

1. They help propagate tress, shrubs and plants by distributing pollen and seeds
2. They keep in check insect & rodent populations which plunder agricultural crops (Locusts are kept in check by starlings. Rats and mice populations are kept in check by hawks and owls)
3. They keep the countryside clear of debris and also of carcasses by scavenging on them (Crows and vultures)
4. They are a valuable source of fertilizer (Fish eating birds produce a fertilizer called 'Guano' which is very valuable)
5. Birds have an aesthetic value
6. They act as gauges of the pollution levels in our water bodies.
7. The study of birds and their flight has lead to the discovery of Aeroplanes and helicopters