🔊 on. This is what happens when water stays on rice fields after harvest. Migratory birds, shorebirds, and threatened species fill the Sacramento Valley every winter because rice growers make it possible. 470,000 acres are needed to meet conservation goals.

"...rice-producing regions tend to naturally align with major migratory flyways, enabling these fields to offer continuous, reliable pitstops for birds to rest and refuel." Great @nfwfnews.bsky.social post on how ricelands provide surrogate wetlands across the USA. www.nfwf.org/media-center...

Planting season in Sutter County. The planes are dropping seed and the birds are already here. White-faced Ibis foraging in rice fields that will become winter habitat for 230+ species. #CARice

Sound on🔊. This is what planting season looks like from above in the Sacramento Valley.

The world is a little crazy right now. Give yourself a break. Join us for a quick scroll through some real birds.

Calling all English nerds and bird enthusiasts. What are the collective nouns for these three species? All three were photographed in California rice fields. #birds #BirdsofBlueSky

Meet the Cinnamon Teal. One of the most striking ducks on the Pacific Flyway, and right at home in California rice. These fields provide the shallow wetland habitat Cinnamon Teal depend on for foraging and nesting.

Research from @ucdavis.bsky.social shows what it takes to support some of California's most at-risk species: 470,000 to 500,000 acres of planted rice. From endangered fish to migratory waterfowl, California's working ricelands help sustain 230+ species.

The rice in your next sushi order was almost certainly grown within 100 miles of California's Capitol. Nearly all of the nation's sushi rice comes from the #SacramentoValley — the same fields that support 230+ wildlife species throughout the year. 1 crop. 2 reasons to care.

In 1991, CA law sharply restricted rice straw burning in the Sacramento Valley to improve air quality. Growers turned to winter flooding to decompose leftover straw. Today, 300,000+ acres of those flooded fields are among the Pacific Flyway's most important winter habitats.

Greater Sandhill Cranes are wrapping up their stay in the Sacramento Valley. At peak winter, 43,139 acres of flooded rice are needed for roosting. The same fields now being prepared for spring planting. #RiceFootprint #BirdsofBluesky #WorkingLands calrice.org/rice-footprint

The ducks that wintered in Sacramento rice fields were building fat reserves for the flight north. Research shows 500,000 planted acres are needed to support waterfowl conservation targets. #CARice #Wetlands #WorkingLands

Thank you to Ducks Unlimited for the 2026 Wetland Conservation Achievement Award and nearly 30 years of partnership. California rice is one of the most essential working wetland systems in North America. We're glad to do this work alongside you. www.ducks.org/newsroom/duc...

The fish fry that entered winter-flooded rice fields two months ago are now heading toward the ocean. Research shows salmon raised on rice field floodplains grow 2–5x faster than those in river channels.

The Giant Garter Snake is waking up. Found only in CA's Central Valley, it's federally threatened and its survival depends on water availability in canals each spring. @ucdaviswater.bsky.social and @pointblue.bsky.social estimate 80k acres of flooded rice are needed to support its conservation.

More than 90% of California's Central Valley wetlands were drained over the last century. Black-necked Stilts like these now breed almost entirely in flooded rice fields. Sustaining that population requires 472,794 acres, flooded through the full breeding season.

The ducks in this frame depend on flooded rice to build fat for migration. Below 300,000 planted acres, they're flying 8+ km just to find food by late January. Above 500,000, they stay fed through winter. The acreage is the difference. #RiceFootprint

They’ve fueled up all winter. Now it’s go time. Sandhill cranes take flight as rice fields turn the page to the spring season. At peak season, sandhill cranes need more than 43,000 acres of flooded habitat to roost. California rice fields help meet that need.

As the water comes off, the work isn’t over. Shallow, draining rice fields create a final feeding window, drawing in birds like the white-faced ibis before they move on. That’s the rice footprint, start to finish. #RiceFootprint

California’s 500,000 acres of rice fields support an entire food web, including birds of prey like this Red-tailed hawk. Working rice lands provide critical habitat for 230+ wildlife species across the Sacramento Valley. #RiceFootprint

Shorebirds once relied on vast Central Valley wetlands. Today, California rice helps fill that gap. Research shows 472,794 acres of rice are needed to support breeding shorebirds, with 373,540 acres of flooded fields supporting them during migration.

Tens of thousands of wings. One working landscape. California rice fields act as surrogate wetlands for birds across the #PacificFlyway. Maintaining 470K–500K acres of rice is essential to meet conservation goals for ducks and shorebirds.

Last week, millions of fish fry were added to winter-flooded rice fields in California. Why it matters: decomposed rice straw enriches the water, jump-starting food sources that young fish rely on. This is how working lands do more.

Did you know that NorCal floodplains support 80% of the Pacific Flyway's total duck & goose populations? 🦆🪿 The #FloodplainForward Coalition is dedicated to sustainable solutions that restore floodplains & support wildlife & ag: norcalwater.org/floodplain-f... #FloodplainFriday

Water returns after harvest, and so do the birds. Tundra swans and geese using California rice fields as part of a 500,000 acre winter habitat network. #Birds #Agriculture #WorkingLands

A rice field after harvest, alive with snow geese. This is what winter flooding looks like on working farmland.

At peak winter, Greater Sandhill Cranes depend on ~43,000 acres of flooded rice for roosting habitat in California.

A sky full of snow geese over California rice. Proof that working lands and wildlife can thrive together.

Snow geese are arriving by the tens of thousands right now. Flooded rice fields offer critical habitat during their long journey south. #PacificFlyway

Natural wetlands in California have been reduced by more than 90 percent. Winter-flooded rice fields help fill that gap by providing shallow water and foraging habitat when birds need it most. calricewaterbirds.org

Harvest is winding down and fields are starting to flood. Each fall, growers help shift the landscape from harvest to habitat. More than 300,000 acres of flooded rice fields will support birds through the winter, all within a rice footprint that spans nearly 500,000 acres.

What’s good for birds is good often good for fish. Partnerships like the Floodplain Forward Coalition are reconnecting rice fields to rivers - helping young salmon grow strong before heading to the Pacific. 🐟 @comstocksmag.bsky.social @comstocks.bsky.social comstocksmag.com/longreads/co...

CA water policy is often defined by conflict. But a new @comstocksmag.bsky.social story shows what happens when farmers, scientists & environmentalists choose cooperation instead. 🌾🐟 See how the Floodplain Forward Coalition is helping fish & farms thrive: www.comstocksmag.com/longreads/co...

The Causeway commute looks a little different this time of year. 🚗🚜 Harvest season is in full swing. Soon these fields will trade tractors for waterfowl migrating along the #PacificFlyway. #CARice

Rice harvest is underway across the Sacramento Valley. From golden fields to grain bins, here’s how California rice makes its journey from field to table. (🧵)

It's harvest time in California's rice growing season. Combines cut the rice and separate the grains, all in one go. Farmers work fast to yield nearly 8,500 lbs. of rice per acre before the rain arrives!

It’s not all waterfowl in California rice fields. 🌾🐢 The Western Pond Turtle — the state’s only remaining freshwater turtle — is finding refuge here too.

Recess reading: new @ucdaviswater.bsky.social overview of the Conservation Footprint—how ~½-million acres of rice support birds, fish & snakes. 🌾📘 #CARice #CALeg calrice.org/rice-footprint

Big news for California agriculture: $2.2M in new grants will expand drone workforce training —preparing the next generation of ag tech leaders & helping growers across the state adopt climate-smart tools. news.ucsc.edu/2025/09/ducc...

The @ucdaviswater.bsky.social has been instrumental in researching and developing programs that transform ricelands into working wetlands benefitting wildlife, communities, and consumers. UCs are a vital asset for CA agriculture. www.universityofcalifornia.edu/feeding-amer...

⏱️August in California rice fields 🌾 "Heading" season. This is when the grain head pushes out of the stem, forming flowers. Those green clusters are the flowers that become rice kernels. These weeks decide the harvest. #CARice

Winter-flooding 25k acres produced ~147,500 lbs of salmon food—fuel for millions of young Chinook. Scaling works. 🌾➡️🐟 #FishFood norcalwater.org/2025/02/20/r...

The Korean burger chain @lotteria0burger.bsky.social just opened its first US location in Fullerton, CA. Their menu features a Bibim Rice Burger?!? We will see you soon. 🤤 asianews.network/k-burgers-hi...

California’s ~500k rice acres double as pop-up wetlands, feeding 230+ species on the #PacificFlyway every winter. 🌾➡️🦆 #CARice #WorkingWetlands

45 seconds, one field, one year at McKenzie Farms: In spring, open the ground & precision-level; add 5 inches of water; grow through spring–summer; harvest in fall; welcome winter habitat for the Pacific Flyway. 🌾🦆

Working farms = working wetlands. 👀🌾 CA Ricelands are critical to providing habitat for: ✅Black Tern - 473K ac ✅Sandhill Crane - 43K ac ✅Giant Garter Snake - 80K ac ✅Shorebirds - 374K ac ✅Ducks & geese: 500K ac Dive into the numbers 👇 ucanr.edu/blog/uc-rice...

Fresh read on UC Rice Blog: a recap of our Conservation Footprint shows ≈ 470k-500k acres of rice is needed to support conservation goals for waterfowl, shorebirds, threatened cranes, and Giant Garter Snakes. @ucanr.edu @pointblue.bsky.social @ucdaviswater.bsky.social ucanr.edu/blog/uc-rice...

When 95 % of the Valley’s wetlands disappeared, California rice fields stepped in. Today ≈ 80,000 acres of ricelands keep the federally‑threatened #GiantGarterSnake hunting, hiding and thriving. 🌾➡️🐍 www.youtube.com/watch?v=M22s...

This winter 25,000 acres of California ricelands produced 147,500 lbs of zooplankton—enough to help 3.5 million young Chinook double their weight before the ocean run. 🌾➡️🐟 norcalwater.org/2025/02/20/r... #FishFood #ICYMI #CAWater

Research shows it would take over 426,000 acres of ricelands to sustain Black Terns above 1,000 individuals — the threshold for long-term survival. In 2023, rice fields supported more than 3,200. Rice is helping keep #BlackTern flying. #ItsInOurNature #BirdsofBlueSky