Most grassland bird species require wide expanses of grasses for nesting, so acreage that mimics a large, contiguous patch of grassland-distant from thick forest edges and human development-is best suited for this program. The program is open to 16 counties across the northern Virginia Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Shenandoah Valley, and a minimum 20-acre commitment is required. Meanwhile, rotating livestock out of select fields in the early spring and allowing those fields to rest until early summer, a practice called summer pasture stockpiling, is proving to be beneficial for cattle, soil health, and producer profitability, in addition to providing improved grassland bird nesting habitat.

That quickly changes a hayfield from being a site of population loss to one of population gain,” says October Greenfield, VGBI co-coordinator and PEC wildlife habitat coordinator. “Delaying the first hay cutting until at least early July is a game-changer for our grassland birds because it allows the bulk of them to fledge at least one successful clutch of young. Map of 16 county Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative service area.

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