Grazing Like It's 1799: How Ranchers Can Bring Back Grassland Birds

by Hannah Waters, National Audubon Society

Even though overgrazing practices threaten grasslands, especially shortgrass prairies, grazing isn’t all bad for grasslands. Grazing, in moderation, can entirely refresh grassland areas and encourage new plant growth. Chris Wilson, director of Audubon’s Conservation Ranching Program states that “grazing is probably the most important for manipulating good grassland-bird habitat.”

Out of the Audubon’s identified conservation “strongholds”—land areas that will provide necessary habitat for birds as climate continues to change—most are controlled by private landowners, with private landowners accounting for 80% control of US grasslands. Clearly, private landowners are key in managing these “strongholds” properly to sustain grassland bird populations.

The Audubon’s Conservation Ranching Program educates ranchers on sustainable grazing techniques, including prescribed burns, designated pasture resting periods, and herd rotation. Instituting these practices not only maintains the vitality of grassland vegetation, the CRP says, but stops pasture destruction and enables ranchers to utilize a pasture for grazing repeatedly. Read more …