Birds are good

Well, insectivorous birds - and bats and lizards and all the other guys that eat the insects that eat plants. You might think it's obvious that animals that feed on plant-eating insects would be good for the plants. And yes, that was widely believed. Until some researchers made the point that birds that eat insects also eat things like spiders and other insect predators. So, there has been some question as to whether insectivorous birds might help protect plants, or might actually be harming them by removing more significant insect predators.

A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences summarizes the results of more than 100 studies and reaches the conclusion that, on the whole, insect-feeders are a net positive for plants.