Why are cliff swallows protected, there are zillions of them, they are pests?

Question

Those folks in Capistrano are nuts to welcome these most horrible of all beasties, I loathe them, they make spring and early summer the most disheartening time of year.

They start making their awful noise at about 4:30 AM, and they only let up for an hour or so around noon, when the sun high in the sky makes them easier for hawks to see. (Watching a hawk eviscerate a swallow is amusing, but it doesn't happen enough to offset the annoyance.)

They also build their disgusting mud nests in the eaves. One year I didn't get the nest hosed down before it was more than half done -- at 50% complete it becomes a $5000 fine to knock it down. (49% and under, free!) It's also $5K per egg or chick if there are either of those inside it. The consequence of not destroying the nest that year was I had to listen to the pathetic babies, CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP.

And so the question, why on earth would they be so protected?

Answer 1

Because they eat Insects, which would really be swarming all over you if they were not around, insects are our largest competitor for food on this good Earth, they out number us 8 to 1.

The Heriing Gull is protected here, they are "Scavengers" and eat garbage.

Answer 2

Swallows are beneficial birds.  They were there before you decided to move there.  Deal with it.

Answer 3

why are humans protected, there are millions and millions of them on earth.  They start making their awful noise at about 6:00am...they talk, scream, laugh, drive their noisy cars, blast their radios and televisions.  It lasts ALL day,  and only quiets down in the late evening. Occasionally they will make noise ALL night. They are also selfish creatures using all the planets resources for their own, and will kill any animal that inconveniences them in any way. They pollute the air and the sea.   They are also violent creatures sometimes attacking and killing their own.  And so the question....why on earth can't we just kill them all, why would they be so protected?  Even if we killed a couple million of them...life would go on undisturbed.