Supporting Beneficial Birds and Managing Pest Birds

Beneficial birds eat pests as beneficial insects do — they help when farms provide for their needs. Researchers here and around the world are partnering with farmers to use new science and build on more than 130 years of past avian pest control studies. Nest boxes placed in vineyards increased Western Bluebird abundance and diversity and their pest control services by a factor of four. Hedgerows and other woody margins also increase beneficial bird presence and reduce insect pests. If birds are a problem, they can be managed with scaring and exclusion techniques and cultural practices. With this workshop and the associated Supporting Beneficial Birds and Managing Pest Birds booklet (www.wildfarmalliance.org/bird_resource), we will help farmers make the most of birds on farms.

**Department of Agronomy and Department of Pesticide Regulations, eligible for up to 1 hour of credit