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Birds are being enlisted to tackle insect pests in a natural and sustainable way
NATURAL SOLUTIONS
Mosquitoes can be the bane of many a birdwatcher, but in parts of southern Europe they can be more serious than just an annoying irritation. They are the vectors of many diseases, including West Nile Fever, the frequency of which has been increasing in many parts of Europe over recent years.
To help combat the risk, a town on the banks of the River Guadalquivir in the south of Spain has taken the innovative step of fighting mosquitoes with their long time foe – birds.
The town hall of Coria del Rio, just south of the city of Seville, has installed a ‘Biodiversity Tower’ in one of the parks alongside the river. Standing at 12 metres tall, the tower provides 300 nest sites for Swifts, Pallid Swifts, Spotless Starlings, sparrows and various species of bat, all of which consume mosquitoes.
At the base of the tower, they have planted various native flowers and shrubs which also provide home for lizards and geckoes, species that, again, eat mosquitoes. It has been calculated that, when full, the biodiversity tower’s residents could consume a million mosquitoes a day!
Often, the first line of defence against mosquitoes is the use of toxic insecticides, but this is a method replete with potential hazards for other non-target species, and even for ourselves.
Natural control methods are not only safe, but they also don’t eat into the budgets of town halls. The tower was dona
