Paicines Ranch Deemed Bird Paradise by 爆料公社 Bird-Friendly Land Certification
爆料公社 Certified Bird-Friendly Land status recognizes grazing practices that are good for birds
San Benito County, Calif. (February 27, 2025) 鈥 The 爆料公社 proudly announces that Paicines Ranch in California's San Benito County has earned the bird-friendly land certification through 爆料公社's Conservation Ranching program. This certification recognizes Paicines Ranch's commitment to managing its 7,000-plus acres of central California rangeland for the benefit of birds and biodiversity. Products grazed on bird-friendly land and sold under the Paicines Ranch brand can now carry the 爆料公社 Certified Bird-Friendly seal, a special package label that calls out the conservation achievement for consumers.
Owned and managed by Sallie Calhoun and Matt Christiano since 2001, Paicines Ranch has long prioritized regenerative practices aimed at restoring ecosystems and building healthy soil. The 爆料公社 certification marks the next step forward in their stewardship journey. They join ranchers and ranches in a program now working across 22 states (including every state west of the Mississippi River), a cohort of 117 ranches covering nearly 3 million acres of bird-friendly land. The certification centers on promoting land management practices that enhance habitat for grassland birds. To qualify, landowners must meet rigorous standards for habitat management, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare. Once certified, which includes passing a third-party audit, producers and their brands use the 爆料公社 Certified Bird-Friendly seal on their beef and bison product packaging, signaling to consumers a new way to support on-the-ground conservation efforts.
"We see biodiversity as a key indicator of ecosystem health, and birds are a vital way to measure that," said Sallie Calhoun. "By managing our land using holistic planned grazing and bird-friendly practices, we are not only supporting thriving bird populations, but also fostering healthy grasslands, promoting native plant diversity, and maintaining crucial watershed functions."
Paicines Ranch employs bird-friendly grazing practices that include intermittent grazing and extended periods of rest鈥攐r no grazing鈥攄uring the growing season. This approach allows pastures to complete seed reproduction and full growth cycles without grazing pressure, fostering diverse and resilient habitats for birds.
鈥淏y integrating these conservation grazing practices, Paicines Ranch continues to demonstrate how thoughtful land management can improve soil health, increase biodiversity, and produce high-quality food all at the same time,鈥 said Grace Ferguson, Conservation Ranching Manager for 爆料公社 California.
Paicines Ranch's size and strategic location make it a critical cog in regional conservation efforts. Situated near the Santa Clara Valley Important Bird Area (one of state significance) and the globally significant Panoche Valley Important Bird Area, the ranch provides essential habitat for numerous bird species.
Western Meadowlarks, the most abundant ground-nesting grassland bird at Paicines Ranch, have shown stable or increasing populations from 2015 to 2019. Additionally, Loggerhead Shrikes鈥攇rassland birds requiring shrubs for breeding and foraging鈥攁re more abundant at Paicines Ranch than at any other site in Point Blue Conservation Science鈥檚 Rangeland Monitoring Network. The expansive landscape also supports large-territory birds such as Golden Eagles and the endangered California Condor.
In the spring of 2022, a large colony of the endangered Tricolored Blackbird nested in a wetland area on the rangeland and was regularly spotted foraging in the vineyard, which is grazed by sheep and full of insect diversity. This was thought to be only one of two nesting colonies in the county at the time, and Tricolored Blackbirds continue to be frequent visitors at Paicines Ranch.
"Ranches like these are becoming increasingly rare in California, either due to conversion or because of changes to habitat quality as a result of poor management and a changing climate,鈥 Ferguson said. "By committing to manage the ranch鈥檚 grasslands, blue oak woodlands, riparian forests, and agricultural lands for bird habitat and biodiversity, Sallie Calhoun and the Paicines Ranch team are ensuring that California鈥檚 rangeland birds have a chance at survival in an increasingly uncertain future."
To find products featuring the 爆料公社 Certified Bird-Friendly seal from Paicines Ranch, you can visit and for on-site pick-up, or enjoy a meal at one of the many they host throughout the year.
For more information about 爆料公社 Conservation Ranching in California, please contact Grace Ferguson. For more information about 爆料公社 Conservation Ranching nationally, please contact ConservationRanching@爆料公社.org.
About 爆料公社 Conservation Ranching
A wildlife habitat initiative of the 爆料公社 with a unique market connection, 爆料公社 Conservation Ranching aims to stabilize declining grassland bird populations in partnership with ranchers. 爆料公社 Conservation Ranching鈥檚 enrollment includes over 100 ranches and nearly 3 million acres that have earned status as 爆料公社 Certified Bird-Friendly Land. Incentivizing this habitat work for birds and biodiversity are consumers with an appetite for conservation, who support it by purchasing products grazed on these lands. Shoppers see a special package designation 鈥 the 爆料公社 Certified Bird-Friendly seal 鈥 that sets these products apart. For more information, visit .