Support beneficial birds on farms with native habitat so that they can help provide pest control! Download the tool and companion resources below to help you on your way.

The Tool and all associated resources listed on this page are licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Beneficial Bird Habitat Assessment and Native Plant Tool

When beneficial birds are supported, they can reduce pest insects, rodents and pest birds that cause harm in row and field crops, vineyards and orchards. This tool helps identify opportunities, prioritize and quantify practices and management strategies, and hone native plant selections that provide the best conditions for beneficial birds on the farm.

• Demonstration Webinar: WFA staff walks you though the use of the tool in this recorded presentation.

Beneficial Bird Habitat Assessment and Native Plant Guide

Why, Where and How to support beneficial birds. Farmers, land managers and others can use this in-depth guide to support the use of the Beneficial Bird Habitat Assessment and Native Plant Tool. The guide mirrors the seven sections of the tool, providing real world examples of implementing habitat. 

• Guide Appendix 1: Plants with Top Bird Associations (see p. 42 of Guide)
• Guide Appendix 2: Glossary of Terms (see p. 43 of Guide)
• Guide Appendix 3: Background on Data Origins and Tool Functions - Describes where the plant and bird data used in the tool originated from and how it functions.
• Guide Appendix 4: Beneficial Bird Habitat Assessment Data Collection Sheet - A checklist to use when gathering data about existing features and plants on a piece of land and which plants are intended to be incorporated. Mirrors the sections of the tool.
• Guide Appendix 5: Beneficial Bird Habitat Assessment and Native Plant Guide References - Scientific references, broken out by sections of the guide.
• Guide Appendix 6: Tool References of Bird/Native Plant Associations from Cornell Birds of the World

Beneficial Bird Native Plant Chart

The 159 native plant species from the tool, organized into a handy chart with symbols representing the plant characteristics, how bird species use them and their climate benefits.