Why are birds important?
Because they are widespread and respond quickly to changes in the environment, birds are the messengers that tell us about the health of the environment. They are our early-warning system for pressing concerns such as climate change.
Birds play an essential role in the functioning of the world’s ecosystems in a way that directly impacts human health, economy and food production. They control pests by consuming tons of insects each year. They pollinate the plants we use for food and medicine. Vultures are nature’s clean-up crew – both the speed of their arrival and their thoroughness in cleaning up rotting carcasses makes them valuable. Birds spread seeds, through their droppings and in so doing bring plants back to ecosystems that have been destroyed. They are capable of transforming entire landscapes. Habitats like forests, marshes and grasslands affect people and wildlife across the planet, store carbon, keep the climate stable, oxygenate the air and transform pollutants into nutrients. Birds pay a key role in maintaining the delicate balance between plant and herbivore, predator and prey. We need to make sure these avian marvels survive and thrive.
