Birds in Agroecology

Abstract

Written by a biologist from the Universidad de Antioquia and legal representative of Fundación Con-Vida, this article analyzes the ecological services birds provide to agroecosystems, arguing that the concept of "pest" is a construct shaped by human intervention. The author documents birds' role in pollination, exemplified by the coevolution between hummingbirds and bromeliads, seed dispersal, and biological pest control, presenting data such as an owl consuming up to 23 mice a day. The text includes the case of the mass poisoning of Swainson's hawks in Argentina from pesticide use, as an example of the risks agrochemicals pose to beneficial fauna.