One practice this past winter was building raptor perches on his irrigation pipe. The raptors that were attracted scared sparrows which were shredding his broccoli plants, resulting in a good crop after all. He is thoughtful about his approach to managing wildlife on his land and strives to give them the space they need, making room for everyone.

Ryan Bourbour, PhD student at UC Davis, is interested in understanding the importance of raptors in agriculture and the practices that landowners can use to best support them on and around farms. He is currently studying the diet of raptors that hunt in agricultural fields and their exposure to rodenticides. Throughout his research, he has found that raptors can be a farmer’s best friend when it comes to pest control. When farmers understand the unique differences of how various raptors nest and find food, they can adopt practices that will increase their chances to benefit from them.