Conserving and Reviving Rangeland with Bird-Friendly Grazing

North America’s grasslands are among the most imperiled ecosystems in the world. Consequently, America’s grassland birds have declined more than any other bird group on the continent, some species by as much as 80%. Because the vast majority of America’s grassland birds breed on private lands, working with ranchers is our best hope for conserving them.

Benefits to Birds

To save grassland birds, we’re supporting America’s ranchers—the stewards of our remaining grassland landscapes—in implementing conservation ranching practices on millions of acres across the U.S. Here in Montana, we’re working with ranchers across the state to develop Habitat Management Plans that promote regenerative grazing and other bird conservation practices, such as restoring and protecting riparian areas and wetlands, improving grazing systems through wildlife-friendly fencing and stock water delivery, controlling invasive weeds, and by native plant re-seeding.

By mimicking America’s historic bison herds, regenerative grazing invigorates diverse plant communities and supports nutrient cycles that rebuild soil and conserve water. It even has the potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere to add enormous amounts of carbon to soil organic matter.  We measure the effectiveness of these practices by monitoring bird diversity and abundance, habitat structure and quality, and soil health.

Benefits to Consumers

Products from Audubon-certified land is hormone and antibiotic-free, ethically raised, and delicious. Supporting Audubon-certified ranches is better for grassland birds, better for the land, and better for you. The Audubon seal can be found on high quality beef and bison products and empowers consumers to support ranches that benefit grassland birds and their habitat.

Benefits to Ranchers

The Audubon certification, with its green seals, provides a unique marketing tool for ranchers to showcase their excellent management practices. The program also provides outreach and educational opportunities, science-based monitoring on participating ranches, and can help ranchers to access grant funding for grazing system projects, creating new opportunities for economic stability while improving grassland habitat for wildlife.