FOODBORNE PATHOGENS CAUSE OVER 9 MILLION ILLNESSES EACH YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES. 46% OF ILLNESSES STEM FROM PRODUCE CONSUMPTION. THIS HAS LED TO INDUSTRY REGULATIONS TO REDUCE WILDLIFE ON FARMS, BUT MONITORING FOR WILDLIFE INTRUSION AND CONTAMINATION IS COSTLY FOR GROWERS TO ADHERE TO. HOWEVER, FEW DATA EXIST TO ASSESS THE RISK OF WILDLIFE TO FOOD SAFETY, LEAVING UNCERTAINTY OVER BEST PRACTICES TO REDUCE FOOD SAFETY RISKS. WILD BIRDS ARE KNOWN TO CARRY FOODBORNE PATHOGENS THAT COULD COMPROMISE FOOD SAFETY, BUT VERY FEW DATA DOCUMENT THE RISK BIRDS POSE TO FOOD SAFETY. ADDITIONALLY, DETERRENCE OF BIRDS IS A LARGE CHALLENGE FOR GROWERS BECAUSE COMMERCIAL BIRD DETERRENTS ARE COSTLY AND GENERALLY INEFFECTIVE. RECENT WORK DEMONSTRATED THAT PROMOTION OF DECLINING FALCON POPULATIONS IN CHERRY ORCHARDS CAN DECREASE FRUIT-EATING BIRD ABUNDANCES. THEREFORE, KESTRELS MAY IMPROVE FOOD SAFETY BY DETERRING OTHER BIRDS THAT CAN DEFECATE ON CROPS.THIS PROJECT HAS SEVERAL COMPLEMENTARY OBJECTIVES DESIGNED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE TRUE RISK WILD BIRDS POSE TO FOOD SAFETY AND TO MANAGE TO REDUCE FECAL CONTAMINATION OF CROPS. WE WILL FIRST ASSESS RATES OF FECAL CONTAMINATION ON CROPS THROUGH VISUAL INSPECTION OF FRUIT TREES IN PAIRED KESTREL/NO KESTREL ORCHARDS (OBJ. 1). WE WILL THEN ELUCIDATE WHICH BIRD SPECIES DEFECATED ON CROPS USING DNA BARCODING (OBJ. 2). FINALLY, WE WILL ESTIMATE CAMPYLOBACTER SPP. PREVALENCE (THE MOST COMMON FOODBORNE PATHOGEN IN WILD BIRDS) IN DROPPINGS (OBJ. 3). ALTOGETHER, THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS TO GAIN A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRUE RISK WILD BIRDS POSE TO FOOD SAFETY AND ASSESS ONE ECO-FRIENDLY MANAGEMENT PRACTICE. THE FINDINGS OF THIS RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO DEVELOP FOOD SAFETY GUIDELINES, AND PRIOR RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT GROWERS WILL BE WILLING TO INSTALL KESTREL NEST BOXES TO PROVIDE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS, INCLUDING IMPROVING FOOD SAFETY. MORE BROADLY, THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO CO-MANAGE BIODIVERSITY AND HUMAN WELL-BEING.