Ms Kolkert said the services provided by tiny bats and birds are potentially worth millions to the Australian cotton industry, and her research shows many small birds, including fairy-wrens, fantail-warblers and flycatchers, and several threatened species of bat, are voracious predators that can be very effective in controlling pest populations within valuable crops.

“Obviously natural pest control is preferable to using chemicals, both for consumer health and the environment, but based on the data and evidence I collect, I want to inform farmers of the other benefits of encouraging bat and bird populations,” Ms Kolkert said.

“In particular, I want to give these species an economic ‘value’ to landowners who are interested in embracing natural pest control.”

Ms Kolkert said that due to agricultural intensification and habitat destruction in many cropping areas, populations of bat and bird species are under pressure. Some are officially listed as threatened or endangered.

“To ensure healthy populations of these pest-eating species, it’s vital that patches of native vegetation are maintained in cropping areas.

“This leads to a win-win situation for farmers and the environment because not only does it encourage a free, natural way to control pests, it also preserves our threatened native species, provides shade for livestock, and results in wide-reaching environmental benefits.”

For more information, photos and updates on Ms Kolkert’s research, follow her twitter account: @birdandbatlife.