Economic impact of pest birds on ripening cereals in Senegal
1981
Bruggers, R. (US Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, CO (USA). Denver Wildlife Research Center) | Ruelle, P.
Grain-eating birds cause extensive damage to agriculture in many African countries. In recent years, this damage has begun to be objectively analyzed and documented. Extrapolation from systematic damage sampling of the cereal crops in the main agricultural regions of Senegal between 1976 and 1977 has shown that birds were responsible for losses of almost 5% of the total cereal production or the equivalent of at least 4-5 million U.S. dollars. Sorghum and millet in the northern regions were the most severely attacked crops. Several bird species are responsible for this damage. Village Weavers (Ploceus cucullatus) are the most widely distributed and probably the most noxious. Golden Sparrows (Passer luteus) are becoming increasingly more important pests to rice and millet. However, Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea), once the most serious bird pest in Senegal, are now only locally important pests; their numbers have declined in recent years presumably due to the impact of control operations and habitat changes associated with drought and desertification.
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