What birds can tell us about the health of our farm
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By Kim Deans
On several occasions, I have walked paddocks with farmers where there has been pasture damage caused by curl grubs (scarab beetle larvae, Scarabaedae family, Anoplognathusspp). When we pause to listen, there is silence, no birdsong, no insects, no life. The hum of aliveness is gone. I wonder if, rather than a grub problem, and alongside grazing management considerations, could this damage also be connected with a bird deficiency?
Our rural landscapes are becoming quieter, and many of us are not noticing. When our contact with the land takes the form of racing around in air-conditioned vehicles and machinery, and when we constantly fill our ears with information and entertainment via podcasts and audio books, it’s easy not to notice when the landscape is becoming silent. When landscapes go quiet, we no longer have the benefit of free ecological support provided by birds, bats, frogs, mammals and beneficial insects that help keep pest populations in check.
In agricultural landscapes there can often be large numbers of certain types of birds, sometimes problematically so, but with less diversity in the types of birds present. This low diversity of bird species can also be a sign of an imbalanced ecosystem, where those birds more suited to disturbed ecosystems are increasing in numbers, while those who rely on ecological health are declining. Birds are particularly valuable ecological indicators, so getting to know more about the birds in our farm landscape can provide us with valuable feedback, as the presence of birds in our landscapes can be a valuable indicator about the direction our management is sending biodiversity and ecosystem health
As the health of agricultural ecosystems declines there are some winners and some losers in terms of habitat:
Decreaser species are the birds that decline when habitat is disturbed by agricultural use, these species tend to rely on trees with hollows, shrubby understory, woody debris. Examples include Diamond Firetail finches, Superb Fairy-Wren, Spotted Pardalote, Rufous Whistler.
Increaser species are the birds that benefit from agricultural land use and thrive in disturbed environments. They don’t require specific protective habitat to survive. Examples include Noisy Miners, Magpies, Rainbow Lorikeets, Galahs, Sulfur Crested Cockatoos, White Ibis (white ibis are great for controlling the curl grubs I mentioned earlier!)
The health of our birds relies on the health of the whole farm ecosystem. One place to start is by protecting areas of remnant vegetation, and planting trees, shrubs and managing for a diversity of plants to create vegetation corridors and ongoing habitat. This will also provide benefits in terms of shade and shelter. Caring for riparian areas also contributes to bird habitat. While every little bit helps, larger patches of vegetation over 10ha in size can support more species of birds. A good goal for a biodiverse agricultural ecosystem is having 30% tree cover. Our gardens also play an important role as bird habitat.
Birds benefits extend widely to more than just pest control. Birds can also play a role in pollination. Interestingly, researchers are exploring how birdsong may enhance plant growth by stimulating stomatal openings in plant leaves, enhancing photosynthesis.[1] There is also research showing how listening to birdsong improves human mental health, reducing stress and anxiety.[2]
One way to start to connect with and learn more about the birds in our landscape is through a simple and enjoyable daily or weekly practice of finding a place to sit and count all the birds we can hear or see for 20 minutes.[3]
Some excellent bird resources for farms include:
Birdlife Australia, Bird Friendly Farms Guide
MLA, Fauna and Flora in Grazed Landscapes: Increaser and Decreaser Species
A friendly reminder that this blog is written by Kim Deans with no thinking, creativity or writing done using AI.
[1] Jeevan Kumar Gullari. 2024. ‘Harmonising Nature: How birdsong contributes to forest health and plant growth.’ https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5004785
[2] E Stobbe, J Sundermann, L Ascone, S Kühn. 2022. ‘Birdsongs alleviate anxiety and paranoia in healthy participants.” Sci Rep. 2022 Oct 13;12(1):16414. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-20841-0
[3] Birdlife Australia. 2025. ‘How to do a bird count or survey.’