The red-billed quelea is the most common bird on Earth. You may have never seen one in your community, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t building a legion. These birds are native to sub-Saharan Africa, where they’re considered “agricultural pests” because their flocks can destroy entire crops. Their population fluctuates between 1 to 10 billion queleas, which makes scientists conclude that they are the most abundant birds on Earth.
100 Mind-Blowing Crops Facts
Plants prevent erosion and landslides. They can do this by keeping the soil around them firm with their roots. Crops such as rye and clover are good choices for erosion control.
OUR FOOD SYSTEM IS THE BIGGEST DRIVER OF FOREST LOSS. Up to 80% of deforestation worldwide happens to make room for crops and livestock.
Emu war. In 1932 the government of Western Australia declared war on emus, a native bird species that was damageing crops in the region. The government sent soldiers armed with machine guns to hunt the emus, who proved elusive. Despite firing thousands of rounds of ammunition, the soldiers were able to kill ‘only a few’ emus before the government declared peace after less than a week.