Today, migratory birds in California depend on 50 million acres of privately-owned land for essential habitat, and much of this land is in agriculture. Crops in the Central Valley provide birds with places to breed, feed, and rest along their journey.

As part of an effort to assess how birds use irrigated pasture, alfalfa, and other crops in the San Joaquin Valley, the Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership is working with volunteer surveyors from Stanislaus Audubon Society to monitor bird use in parts of Stanislaus County.

Yesterday, Audubon and PRBO Conservation Science headed out into the field to test a monitoring protocol on a working farm. We saw just a few shorebirds and raptors, but in a few weeks, thousands of Aleutian and Snow geese should be arriving to the area, along with many other species.

The long term conservation of migratory birds depends on maintaining and enhancing the habitat value of the private agricultural lands that make up so much of the Central Valley landscape. Surveys conducted on this farm will help inform and guide our work with private landowners who wish to manage their land in ways that are beneficial to birds and wildlife.