The control of Red-billed quelea

Quelea are highly gregarious birds, congregating wherever possible, pending food availability and distribution. They are closely related to other species of the Weaver family but are unique in their behavioural pattern, moving considerable distances each year during the breeding season to take advantage of the seasonal timing of passing rain fronts (a pattern unusual for the smaller seed-feeding bird species). Throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, quelea seasonally move great distances of up to 1100 km recorded for one movement. The escalation of their numbers into vast locust-like proportions highlights the downside of macro farming activity that effectively minimises the natural constraints on population numbers at the onset of the rainy season when natural food becomes critically short.