Nature's Biological Locust Control Force: 180 Locusts Eaten Daily, Insect Weight Exceeds Bird Weight
Over the past few months, locust plagues in the East African region have remained 'extremely worrying,' threatening the food supply of tens of millions of people. Multiple countries and regions have begun to implement locust control plans. Sending out a military of tens of thousands of ducks is a consistent strategy, but there is also a small bird in nature that is said to be a 'locust harvester' –Pink-rumped Swiftletwith an average of 120-180 locusts eaten per day by each adult bird. The total weight of these locusts exceeds the weight of the birds themselves.
Locust plagues are caused by multiple factors, including regional climate-induced droughts, global climate warming, and disruption of ecological balance, typically caused by lack of food. A single locust is not terrifying, but when they form a swarm of tens of millions, they are almost a locust wherever they go, and all crops are devastated in a place where locusts appear. The huge locust swarm consumes crops quickly and then moves to the next place. Locust plagues can lead to food shortages and famine.Birds are natural enemies of insects, and many birds feed on locusts. The Pink-rumped Swiftlet stands out among them. Studies have found that the more Pink-rumped Swiftlets appear in a place, the lower the incidence of locust plagues. Because Pink-rumped Swiftlets feed on locusts as their main food and have a huge appetite,
Pink-rumped Swiftlets are the main force of biological locust controlwhich is an ecological strategy to balance locusts.There are 16 known species of starlings, and the Pink-rumped Swiftlet is one of them. It looks like a magpie, but its back and abdomen are pink, hence the name Pink-rumped Swiftlet. Pink-rumped Swiftlets like to live in large flocks in dry open areas, but it's
a migratoryand in winter, it inhabits Eastern Europe and Western Asia, and migrates to western Xinjiang, China, in May to reproduce. So Xinjiang is China's main breeding ground for Pink-rumped Swiftlets. Pink-rumped Swiftlets play a great role in controlling grassland locusts and have become the main locust control force in the local area.Pink-rumped Swiftlets are called 'locust harvesters' because not only adult Pink-rumped Swiftlets swallow locusts in large quantities,
the chicks' feed intake is often no less than that of adultsbecause the chicks need energy during growth, so the chicks' feed intake increases greatly, and they can often exceed that of adults. With locusts as their main food and such a large appetite, how much food can a Pink-rumped Swiftlet eat in a day? A huge appetite Pink-rumped Swiftlet is definitely a locust control expert!Pink-rumped Swiftlets not only fly to the grass to scare locusts and capture locusts,
but also form a mutually beneficial alliance with large herbivorous wild animals and livestockPink-rumped Swiftlets will follow behind large groups of herbivores or livestock, intercepting locusts aroused by these large animals, giving Pink-rumped Swiftlets food. When Pink-rumped Swiftlets control the number of locusts, they also protect the feed of large herbivorous animals.Pink-rumped Swiftlets have a wide distribution range and a stable population, and it is a species without survival crisis.
It is listed as a 'three-dimensional' wild animal in Chinawhen the habitat of Pink-rumped Swiftlets is protected, a large number of Pink-rumped Swiftlets will migrate to this place, which greatly reduces the incidence of locust plagues and protects the grassland ecosystem!Focus on six-dimensional nature, understand nature naturally!
