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Birds Helping People - Vineyards
© Mick Thompson
In some vineyards of Napa and Sonoma Counties in California, owls patrol by night, and kestrels, harriers, and other raptors take the day-watch. They eat the mice, rats, and gophers that nibble on the roots of young grapevines. Other birds help, too, including this Western Bluebird. Wineries put out nestboxes for the bluebirds (like this male) and other birds that eat insect pests. Instead of poisons and other environmentally dangerous methods, growers put nature to work, a great example of sustainable agriculture and a win-win situation for people and birds. Learn more about birds from your local Audubon.
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Birds Helping People -
Vineyard Patrol
This is BirdNote!
You’ve heard stories on BirdNote about people helping birds… Frank Belrose and the Wood Ducks, Kevin Li and the Purple Martins. (Twitter of Purple Martins) Well, it’s time for a tale of birds helping people.
In some vineyards of Napa and Sonoma Counties in California, owls patrol by night (Screech and whoosh of wings of a Barn Owl), and kestrels, harriers, and other raptors take the day-watch. They eat the mice, rats, and gophers that nibble on the roots of young grapevines. San Bernabe Vineyard set out more than 100 nest-boxes for owls, and has even named one of its brands “Night Owl Wines.” Not far away, Shafer Vineyards offers up a “Red Shoulder Chardonnay” in honor of one of its resident raptors, the Red-shouldered Hawk. (Scream of a Red-shoulder)
In southern Napa, David Graves of Saintsbury Winery has put out dozens of bird-boxes that cater to the smaller avian set (twitter of a Tree Swallow)—the Tree Swallows, Western Bluebirds, and wrens, which eat insect pests off the vines.
So instead of poisons and other environmentally dangerous methods, the growers put nature to work, a great example of sustainable agriculture and a win-win situation for people and birds. (Twitter continues)
Audubon chapters throughout the USA support and celebrate ways to improve conditions for birds and people. Learn how you can find the chapter nearest you, on birdnote.org. I’m Frank Corrado.
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Written by Ellen Blackstone
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Purple Martin song and Red-shouldered Hawk recorded by G.A. Keller. Barn Owl recorded by D.S. Herr. Tree Swallow song recorded by G.F. Budney.
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson
© 2009 Tune In to Nature.org Revised for Aug. 2009
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