Nesting Bird Habitat Incentive Program
NBHIP funds California landowners to create and maintain upland habitats that benefit nesting birds and pollinators through voluntary science-based habitat management.
Funder: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Due Dates (Anticipated): March 2027 (application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Economic incentives for habitat creation/maintenance; award amounts and duration vary—contact program for current details.
Summary: Provides economic incentives to private landowners in California to create and maintain upland habitat for nesting birds and pollinators.
Key Information: Participation is voluntary and available to landowners/managers with suitable upland cover habitat.
Description
The Nesting Bird Habitat Incentive Program (NBHIP) is an initiative of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) administered through the Wetland Conservation Program. The program aims to reverse population declines in upland nesting waterfowl, game birds (such as mallards, gadwall, cinnamon teal, and ring-necked pheasants), and pollinators (such as monarch butterflies and bumble bees) by providing economic incentives to private landowners and managers in California. NBHIP supports both annual enhancements and long-term projects that cultivate or retain high-quality upland cover, including cover crops, cereal grains, grasses, forbs, and pollinator plants. The goal is to encourage voluntary habitat management that benefits breeding birds and pollinators on private lands.
