Impact of Wild Birds on Agriculture at Desert Reclaimed Lands With an Evaluation of Some Safe Damage Preventive Methods

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Plant Protection Research Institute, ARC, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

Survey of wild bird species was done in El-Wady El-Gadid Governorate during years 2014 and 2015. Evaluation of some environmentally safe bird damage-prevention methods were carried out in rice, sorghum and wheat fields. The survey results showed that 15 bird species "Resident (Re) and Visitor (Vi)" were recorded; Bubulcus ibis (Cattle egret) (Re), Vanellus spinosus (Spur winged lapwing) (Re), Spilopelia senegalensis (Laughing dove) (Re), Streptopelia decaocto (Eurasian collared dove) (Re),  Motacilla alba (White wagtail) (Vi)and Passer domesticus (house sparrow) (Re), were found in El-Kharga, El- Dakhla and El-Farafra, Elanus caeruleus (Black-winged kite) (Re), Athene noctua (Little owl) (Re), Gallinula chloropus (Moorhen) (Vi), Ardeola ralloides (The squacco heron) (Vi), Merops persicus (Blue-cheeked bee-eater) (Vi), Egretta garzetta (Little egret) (Vi), Himantopus himantopus (Black-winged stilt) (Re) and Pycnonotus goiavier (yellow-vented bulbul) were found in El- Dakhla. While Coturnix ypsilophora (The brown quail) (Re) was found in El-Kharga. Results also revealed that damage in rice by thehouse sparrow was high in Gharb-El-Mawhob. While laughing dove caused high damage in sorghum crop, but it did not cause damage in wheat, in El-Dakhla. There was significant decrease in house sparrow damage to rice by using three methods of bird scaring methods, i.e. balloon, metallic-coloured stripes and aluminium reflective stripes at three different hights. The damage of laughing dove to sorghum crop was also significantly decreased by the use of these scaring devises at different heights compared with control. It could be concluded that the best bird environmentally scaring method was the aluminium reflective stripes, at

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