The California Ricelands Waterbird Foundation is currently soliciting applications for the Bid4Birds habitat program this spring. Applications are submitted through the Foundation website, and the enrollment period closes on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
Key Details:
- Incentive payments for growers to implement shallow flooding for shorebirds
- Payment rates vary and are generated by the grower, based on the costs of providing the habitat.
- Contracts: 4 to 11 week commitments
- Timeline: between February 16 and May 4, 2026
- Flooding: mudflat to a maximum of 4 inches throughout the contract period
- Field preparations required – minimal vegetation allowed
- Contracts are ranked on timing, habitat quality, and price (flooding later ranks higher)
To apply, please visit the Bid4Birds webpage. For questions, contact Kristin Sesser, Wildlife Programs Manager with the California Rice Commission at (916) 607-8988 or ksesser@calrice.org.
