The next time you take a bite of rice you can feel good not only about the flavor and nutritional value of your meal, but also the fact that the production of rice enhances the environment. About 3 million acres of rice are grown in the United States each year. This acreage supplies valuable habitat for all types of animals ranging from reptiles to birds to mammals. Rice growing regions in the United States are crucial over-wintering areas for millions of waterfowl and shorebirds of the Central, Mississippi and Pacific flyways. Each year ducks, geese and shorebirds visit rice fields to fatten up and build strength for their long return trek to northern nesting grounds.
Rice fields offer benefits to a multitude of migrating waterfowl.
Fallen grain and weed seeds that remain in the fields after harvest are an important food source for these wintering waterfowl. The fields also house robust populations of aquatic insects. These birds then feed on the protein-rich bugs to develop new feathers and enhance their breeding potential. Rice fields provide many of the food resources and habitat that were lost when natural marsh and other wetlands were drained during earlier settlement. In fact, conservation organizations now maintain that a healthy rice industry is crucial to the health and well-being of migratory waterfowl.