Tanzania has launched a massive operation to cull millions of quelea birds in an effort to protect rice fields from devastation. The Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA), responsible for managing plant health and pesticides as well as controlling desert locusts, carried out the operation using advanced technology.

Last week, the TPHPA targeted the northern region of Manyara, where approximately 1,000 acres of commercial crops were under threat from these destructive birds. Joseph Ndunguru, acting director general of TPHPA, reported that they successfully eliminated swarms of five million quelea birds in Manyara, and they are currently monitoring other regions for potential threats.

Quelea birds, recognisable by their tiny size and distinctive red beaks, are notorious for their ability to ravage crops. Their invasions typically coincide with the onset of the dry season in September and October. To counter this threat, the TPHPA conducted aerial spraying over a four-day period, effectively neutralising the quelea bird swarms before they could inflict damage upon the paddy fields in northern Tanzania.

Aerial surveillance operations are now ongoing in various regions to ensure the continued protection of crops. The TPHPA has highlighted that these birds are capable of consuming more than 50 tonnes of food crops in a single day, making their management a critical agricultural concern.

Quelea birds are believed to be the most abundant bird species globally. African governments have previously initiated both aerial and ground efforts to control and mitigate the impact of these birds on agriculture, emphasising the importance of these actions to safeguard food security in the region.