Lesson 8 – Bird-Friendly Livestock Operations: From Grassland Conservation to Barn Swallow Fly Control

 

Presentation Recording

Presenters

Francesca Roseo is a PhD candidate in Environmental Sciences at the University of Milan, studying the impacts of climate change and human activities on high-elevation birds. Born and raised in the Alpine city of Trento, she has a lifelong dedication to mountain ecosystems, combining academic research with on-the-ground environmental activism. Through her work, Francesca promotes sustainable conservation strategies tailored to these sensitive environments.

Krysten Zummo is a Range Ecologist with the National Audubon Society’s Upper Mississippi River & Great Lakes Regions and has a Master’s degree in Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Ecology. For nearly a decade, Krysten has been working with landowners and land managers to find balance between the needs of people and wildlife. Through Audubon’s Conservation Ranching program, she works to create grassland habitats through grazing practices that benefit both farmers and the birds that live on their land.

Learning Objectives

Upon successfully completing this lesson, participants will have learned:

• How Barn Swallows can be farmers’ allies and play an important role as pest controllers
• About the concept "Landscape of Fear" and how it can impact pest activity
• How grazing and grassland birds are linked
• How small shifts in grazing management can support bird habitat

Resources

1. The landscape of fear in cattle farms? How the presence of barn swallow influences the activity of pest flies by Roseo et al. 2024
2. Landscape of fear theory original study by Laundré et al. 2001
3. The Good, the Bad, and the Risky: Can Birds Be Incorporated as Biological Control Agents into Integrated Pest Management Programs? by Garcia et al. 2020
4. Audubon Conservation Ranching Handout
   
   

WFA Video