Are woodpeckers, magpies and swallows beneficial birds or harmful birds, and what do they mainly eat?

In daily life we often see all kinds of birds such as woodpeckers, magpies and swallows, and many people cannot figure out whether they are beneficial birds or harmful birds. Beneficial birds and harmful birds are judged from the perspective of human interests: those beneficial to humans are beneficial birds, and those harmful to humans are harmful birds.

Beneficial birds refer to those birds that prey on pest insects and harmful animals, or that modern science has proven to be directly or indirectly beneficial to humans. There are many kinds of beneficial birds, and they differ enormously in living environment, physiological structure and habits. Among the Chinese public, some beneficial birds are already well known and protected, while others are not yet recognized, and some are even regarded as harmful birds. In 1982 the Chinese government decided that the first week of April each year would be “Bird-Loving Week”.

Are woodpeckers, magpies and swallows beneficial birds or harmful birds

Of course, the woodpeckers, magpies and swallows we commonly see all belong to the beneficial birds. A woodpecker can chisel holes in trees to hook out insects; its beak is long, pointed and hard, and can be driven right into the hard xylem, while its tongue is long and thin, covered with many barbs and coated with a layer of sticky mucus, so it can hook out pests accurately. It mainly eats pests hidden inside tree trunks and boring into the wood, such as longhorn beetles, clearwing moths and jewel beetles. It is known as the “forest doctor”.

In the magpie’s annual diet, more than 80% consists of insects harmful to crops, such as locusts, mole crickets, scarab beetles, cutworm larvae and pine caterpillars, while 15% consists of grains and plant seeds; it also eats small birds, snails, melons and fruits, and the seeds of weeds. Therefore, the magpie is very beneficial to humans. On August 1, 2000, the magpie was included in the “List of Terrestrial Wild Animals under State Protection That Are Beneficial or of Important Economic or Scientific Research Value” issued by the State Forestry Administration, and it has important protection value.

The swallow is scientifically known as the barn swallow. It is small, with narrow pointed wings, a forked tail, a short beak, weak small feet and not very many feathers. Its plumage is a single color, or has metallic blue or green gloss; in most species the two sexes are very similar. Swallows spend a great deal of time catching pest insects in the air and are among the most agile passerines; they mainly feed on insects such as mosquitoes and flies, and are a well-known beneficial bird. They build nests in tree holes or crevices, or bore holes in sandy banks, or in town and countryside stick mud onto walls or protrusions of corridors, roofs and eaves to make their nests.

Other common beneficial birds

1. Insect-eating beneficial birds

Chinese Sparrowhawk, Pintail Snipe, Indian Cuckoo, Common Cuckoo, Eurasian Nightjar, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Dollarbird, Eurasian Hoopoe, Black-naped Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Blue-winged Pitta, Red-rumped Swallow, White Wagtail, Forest Wagtail, Ashy Drongo, Green-eared Bulbul, Light-vented Bulbul, Tiger Shrike, Red-tailed Shrike, Long-tailed Shrike, Black-naped Oriole, Black Drongo, Ashy Drongo, Spangled Drongo, Eurasian Jay, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Azure-winged Magpie, Common Magpie, Common Blackbird, Red-throated Thrush, Rufous-necked Scimitar Babbler, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Hwamei, Great Reed Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Pallas’s Leaf Warbler, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Great Tit, Meadow Bunting

2. Rodent-eating beneficial birds

Oriental Scops Owl, Collared Scops Owl, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Collared Owlet, Asian Barred Owlet, Little Owl, Long-eared Owl, owl

3. Grass-eating beneficial birds

Ring-necked Pheasant, White-crowned Long-tailed Pheasant, Ruddy-breasted Crake, White-breasted Waterhen, Watercock, Common Moorhen, Northern Lapwing, Oriental Greenfinch

4. Seed-dispersing beneficial birds

Yellow-vented Bulbul, Red-billed Starling, White-cheeked Starling, Crested Myna, Hawfinch

There is sometimes no fixed dividing line between beneficial birds and harmful birds; insect-eating birds may also damage crops when hungry. The key point is that we should pay attention to the food chain and not destroy it artificially.