from the Director's Desk

Breanne Vandenberg

According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, there are approximately 250 species listed under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). The original enactment of this law was made in 1970 with various amendments made through the years. The Tricolored Blackbird has been listed as threatened since April 2018.

The Tricolored Blackbird is a bird that is black in color with red and white coloring on their shoulders. They can be confused by their cousin, the Red-winged Blackbird, who is greater in overall population numbers. The Tricolored tends to nest in marshes and croplands. In recent years, fields used for dairy feed have been impacted due to their nesting.

In a typical year, the Audubon Society will track the birds and when they find them on an agricultural parcel, they will contact the local Farm Bureau or other ag organizations. In my time with Farm Bureau, I’ve had to notify 2-3 dairies of the bird nesting on their property. A landowner cannot harvest the crop due to the nesting of the birds and their threatened classification under the CESA. Any “take,” accidental or not, can be deemed a penalty from the California Fish and Game, warranting a monetary fine.

Landowners can request that an agent from the Natural Resources Conservation District (NRCS) view their property where the agent can determine the age of the nest, provide an estimation of when the landowner can enter the field, etc. They can mark off the field where the habitat has been established and allow the dairymen to harvest the remaining area. If the birds are nesting throughout the field, the landowner will not have the ability to enter the field until the birds have moved on, which can take over multiple weeks due to colony nesting. If they protect habitat, dairymen can apply for funding to cover loss due to harvest delay. It’s not the most desired situation, however it is better when the birds have impacted your field to the detriment of not being able to harvest.

This year has been slightly different. I’ve received two calls for Tricolored nestings this year with one occurring in the Stevinson area and the other in Los

Banos. The interesting piece is that these have not been dairy fields, but instead cover crops waiting to be tilled under or in the process of being taken down by grazing sheep.

If your first thought is, “Wait. Sheep are causing an issue? And they’re only grazing?” You’re not alone. I had that thought too and was given the response that because of their grazing and travel, the birds are impacted as they build their nests at ground level. Trust me, I’ve shared my frustration on where the birds elect to nest.

What we are working through are what and if there are programs that these landowners can use to recoup their costs due to delayed plantings. This could include costs such as rental fees and loss of crop due to delayed planting. Funding can easily be submitted for when it is a dairy field as those costs/equations are already developed. We are working through these current scenarios, and I would assume others to come, as they arise

The bigger piece for you to take away from this is to be aware of these birds and the ramifications that come with them. In addition, be mindful that Tricoloreds can instinctually return to a to a field they’ve nested in the year prior. As additional land becomes fallow or if there are more wet years such as this year, I can foresee this being a continuous issue moving forward. Please reach out with any questions that you have on this issue.