Swallows can be precious allies on farms. This is stated in a study conducted by the Muse - Science Museum of Trento, Lipu and the University of Milan and recently published in the international journal "Journal of applied ecology". The research investigates the role of these birds in cattle breeding. The research evaluated the effect that the presence and abundance of swallows inside the stables of Val di Non, in Trentino, can have on the activity rate of flies, their potential prey and carriers of various pathogens and stress for the raised livestock.
The abundance of swallows and flies - informs a note - was measured for 16 weeks in nine farms in the Val di Non, occupied or not by nesting swallows. From April to August 2022, weekly data were collected on fly activity rate and swallow presence, brood size, and number and age of chicks. It was thus possible to quantify the effect of swallows on these insects. The results show that the activity rate of the flies increases, as expected, with temperature and over the course of the season. However, this increase appears much less marked in the presence of swallows and further limited when swallows are relatively abundant. At a temperature of 22°, the study reports, the local presence of 25 swallows corresponds to an average reduction of over 60% in the rate of fly activity compared to what would occur in a stable without swallows.
"This study was strongly supported by Muse, Lipu and the University of Milan, because the decline of this charismatic species and many other lesser-known insectivorous birds is truly worrying. We need innovative approaches to counteract the decline of biodiversity in the agricultural and zootechnical and finding synergies between human activities and the conservation of biodiversity is fundamental", comment Muse researchers Francesca Roseo and Marco Salvatori.
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