Conservation Ranching

Working with landowners to support better bird habitat.
Photo: Stacy Steinke

̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Certified Bird-Friendly Land

̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Conservation Ranching aims to stabilize declining grassland bird populations in partnership with farmers and ranchers. 

Why farmers and ranchers? The majority of grassland birds–whose populations have declined by more than 40 percent in the last 50 years–inhabit privately owned land. This is where we scale our impact.

Landowners voluntarily enroll in our program, and when they meet requirements centering on habitat management, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare, they earn the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Bird-Friendly Land certification. Nationwide, more than 100 ranches and nearly 3 million acres have earned status as Ì½»¨¾«Ñ¡ Certified Bird-Friendly Land

Consumers with an appetite for conservation support these bird-friendly habitats. A special package designation – the Ì½»¨¾«Ñ¡ Certified Bird-Friendly seal – lets shoppers know which beef or bison products come from these lands managed for birds and biodiversity. 

About Conservation Ranching
For Retailers and Institutions
For Retailers and Institutions

Learn why you should carry products that meet the desires of your eco-conscious customers.

Our Team
A person with a light beard, wearing a blue ball cap and dark-framed eyeglasses, looks at the camera

Nat Miller

Senior Director, Wings Over Working Lands

Christopher Wilson

Program Director, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Conservation Ranching

Anthony Hauck

Communications Director, Wings Over Working Lands

Thomas Schroeder

Senior Partnerships Manager, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Conservation Ranching

̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Certifies Cheyenne River Buffalo Ranch, Home of Wild Idea Buffalo Co., as Bird-Friendly Habitat
January 22, 2024 — Dan O’Brien’s pioneering company will be first to carry new bison version of the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Certified bird-friendly seal
Birds That Depend on Grasslands
Priority Bird
Bobolink
Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Blackbirds and Orioles
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Calcarius ornatus
Longspurs and Snow Buntings
Greater Prairie-Chicken
Tympanuchus cupido
Pheasants and Grouse
American Golden-Plover
Pluvialis dominica
Plovers