Data from: Bird services and disservices to strawberry farming in Californian agricultural landscapes

1.Bird conservation in agricultural settings can be controversial. While
some bird species damage some crops, others suppress insect pests. Few
studies have simultaneously compared bird services and disservices to
assess their net impact. 2.Using an exclusion experiment in six California
strawberry farms, we show that bird suppression of berry damage by insect
pests (about 3.8% of berries) is similar in magnitude to the damage birds
inflict on strawberries (about 3.2% of berries). 3.Across 27 farms, we
found that bird species richness and the relative abundance of
insectivorous birds increased, while the relative abundance of
strawberry‐eating birds and bird damage decreased on farms with more
semi‐natural land cover in the surrounding landscapes (1000m radius).
4.Relative to homogeneous farms, those that implemented diversification
practices, such as hedgerows, flower strips, or increased crop diversity,
had greater bird species richness, total relative abundance, insectivore
abundance, and strawberry‐eating bird abundance. 5.Synthesis and
applications. Conserving semi‐natural land cover in the surrounding
landscape benefits bird species richness locally and aids farmers through
reduced abundance of strawberry‐eating birds and bird damage. These
results highlight the need to consider both the services and disservices
of birds when making management decisions.