On the recommendations of renowned Ornithologist Dr.(Late) Salim Ali in 1973, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi sanctioned an adhoc project entitled "Biology and Control of Bird Pests" at Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University (APAU), Hyderabad for a  period of  seven years under Cess Fund Scheme. The main objectives were to develop bird control strategies and   also to evaluate the beneficial and economical aspects in terms of agricultural production and storage.

Recognizing the importance of the subject, in 1982 ICAR launched an All India Coordinated Research Project on Economic Ornithology at National level with five centers, located at Gujarat Agricultural University, Anand; PAU, Ludhiana; Rajasthan University, Kota; IARI New Delhi and AP Agricultural University, aiming at management of harmful and beneficial birds in agricultural ecosystem. At present the project head quarter is located at ANGR Agricultural University, Hyderabad with the coordinating cell. In last plan, two more centers were recognized in NE area.

On the recommendations of the QRT during 1990 the project was re-named as All India Network Project on Agricultural Ornithology to widen the scope of research areas. This project has given an impetus to the scientists to undertake research on applied ornithology and device various protection technologies under different agro-ecological regions of the country in relation to cropping pattern and bird depredation. In a view to widen the scope of research on higher vertebrates, in 12^th plan ICAR has merged the rodents and ornithology projects and formed All India Network Project on Vertebrate Pest Management in which research on Agricultural Ornithology, Rodent Control and Higher Vertebrate are a part. At this centre, we are dealing with birds.