Grassland Birds
Grasslands are arguably the most imperiled of the habitats in the United States. Agriculture has mostly dominated the wide-open grass-covered vastness in the middle of the North American continent. I was able to locate 20 National Grasslands and 1 Prairie Reserve in the U.S. To make a broad comparison with National Forests, National Grasslands are about 1/10th the size, and there are far fewer of them. Less than 2% of the Great Plains ecosystem is protected. Because more than 7,000 species of plant grow in our grasslands, there are many different types of them to be found, including: tallgrass, mixed-grass, and shortgrass.
Tallgrass grassland, or lets call it tallgrass prairie to be less redundant, can be found in the easternmost range of the Great Plains. Indian grass and big bluestem are the dominant grasses in tallgrass prairie, and can grow up to 12 feet tall! Dickcissel, Greater Prairie-Chicken, and Henslow’s Sparrow are characteristic birds of the area. Mixed-grass prairie is intermediate in height between tallgrass and shortgrass, and is also found right in the middle of the Great Plains. Little Bluestem is one grass species widespread within mixed-grass prairie, and grows about 3 feet high in the summer. Baird’s Sparrow and Chestnut-collared Longspur are both characteristic of mixed-grass prairies, though birds associated with both tallgrass and shortgrass systems can be found there. Finally, shortgrass prairie is found in the southwestern portion of the Great Plains, contained to the west by the Rocky Mountains. Grama grass and buffalo grass may grow to 2 feet high, but most plants in shortgrass prairies grow no more than a few inches in the season. Lark Bunting and Long-billed Curlew are breeding birds characteristic of shortgrass prairies.
Because of their scarcity, you may have a hard time finding a functional prairie ecosystem near you even if you live in the middle of the continent where they historically dominated the landscape. It is definitely worth the work and the drive to find one, though, because the birding can be great in the spring. Lark Buntings are gregarious and the males love to give flying displays of their flashy color patterns early in the breeding season. Grab those binoculars and your sunscreen and get out there. You may gain a real appreciation for these vanishing habitats and decide to champion any that you are lucky enough to live near!
