Bird Numbers Rise On Ranch: Colorado couple’s adaptive grazing boosts species; detections double

When Lance and Lisa Wheeler bought land in Colorado to build a family ranch, their ambition was to raise healthy food and create a sustainable way of farming. More than a decade later, their land is also becoming a refuge for grassland birds. According to Audubon Rockies, which published the couple’s story on August 31, 2026, bird species recorded at their Rafter W Ranch increased from 29 in 2019 to 37 in 2025, while grassland-bird detections doubled from 178 to 356. The numbers offer a striking glimpse of what can happen when livestock production and conservation are managed together.From a childhood cowboy dream to a real ranchWheeler grew up in a Los Angeles suburb but dreamed of becoming a cowboy. His family had raised cattle in Texas for generations, although his own idea of ranching initially came more from watching Bonanza than experiencing life on a working ranch. That changed when he and Lisa began raising grass-fed meat, poultry and eggs on a small property in Elizabeth, Colorado, in the early 1990s.As they learned more about regenerative agriculture, they began thinking bigger. In 2014, the couple purchased land in Elbert County. Two years later, they acquired the neighb...