Managing Habitat for Grassland Birds
A Guide for Wisconsin

Sample, David W., and Michael J. Mossman.  1997.  Managing habitat for 
     grassland birds - a guide for Wisconsin.  Wisconsin Department of 
     Natural Resources, Madison, WI, PUBL-SS-925-97.  154 pp.

This resource should be cited as:

Sample, David W., and Michael J. Mossman.  1997.  Managing habitat for 
     grassland birds - a guide for Wisconsin.  Wisconsin Department of 
     Natural Resources, Madison, WI, PUBL-SS-925-97.  154 pp.  
     Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.  
     http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/wiscbird/index.htm  
     (Version 03JUN2002).

Contents

• To the Reader
• Introduction
• Purpose and Use of This Guide
• Overview of Grassland and Grassland Birds Management Issues
  • Definitions of Grasslands and Grassland Birds
  • Grassland Bird Habitat
  • Grassland Bird Communities
  • Grassland Bird Distribution and Abundance in Wisconsin
  • Management Philosophy
    • Managing for Statewide Diversity
    • Managing for Population Viability
    • Managing for Communities
    • Scale Issues and Regional Differences
    • Long-Term Monitoring
    • Public and Agency Education
• Identifying Bird Species of Management Concern and Priority Habitats for Wisconsin
  • Species
  • Habitats
  • Wisconsin Grassland Bird Habitats
• Guidelines and Recommendations for Habitat Management
  • Amount of Habitat
  • Habitat Size and Shape
    • Large-Scale Landscapes
    • Medium-Scale Landscapes
    • Small Blocks
  • Habitat Distribution
  • Surrounding Land Use
    • Effective Habitat Size
    • Suitable vs. Unsuitable Adjacent Habitats
  • Woody Cover and Edge Issues
  • Habitat Structure and Other Features
  • Disturbance Patterns
  • Land Management Practices
    • Mowing
    • Burning
    • Grazing
    • Herbicide
    • Planting and Restoration
    • Water-Level Manipulations
    • Conventional Cropping Practices
    • Alternative Cropping Practices
    • Set-Asides
    • Forestry Practices
• Management Priorities for Birds, Habitats, Landscapes, and Sites
  • Statewide
    • Birds
    • Habitats, Landscapes, and Sites
  • Southwestern Upland
    • Birds
    • Habitats, Landscapes, and Sites
  • Southeastern Ridges and Lowlands
    • Birds
    • Habitats, Landscapes, and Sites
  • Central Plains
    • Birds
    • Habitats, Landscapes, and Sites
  • Lake Michigan Shoreland
    • Birds
    • Habitats, Landscapes, and Sites
  • Northern Highland/Lake Superior Lowland
    • Birds
    • Habitats, Landscapes, and Sites
• Conclusion
• Appendices
  • A.  Complete List of Grassland Birds and Other Birds that Use Grassland Habitats in Wisconsin
  • B.  List of Plants Mentioned in the Text
  • C.  U.S. Forest Service National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units for Wisconsin
  • D.  Wisconsin DNR Geographic Management Units and Regions
  • E.  Definitions of Wisconsin Grassland Habitats and Lists of Associated Non-Grassland Bird Species
  • F.  General and Special Habitat Features Required or Preferred by Grassland Bird Species
  • G.  Statewide Ranking and Descriptions of Priority Landscapes for Grassland Bird Management
• Glossary
• Literature Cited
• Suggested Reading
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors

Tables and Figures

• Table 1 -- The species composition of Wisconsin's grassland bird communities.
• Table 2 -- Breeding season abundance of Wisconsin's grassland birds.
• Table 3 -- Management priority of grassland birds in Wisconsin, ranked in order from highest management concern to lowest.
• Table 4 -- Ranking of all grassland communities according to management priority.
• Table 5 -- Habitat feature preferences of the 26 grassland bird species of management concern.

• Figure 1 -- Natural Divisions of Wisconsin, as described by Hole and Germain (1994).
• Figure 2 -- Population treads of grassland bird species of management concern in Wisconsin.
• Figure 3 -- When planning small blocks or strips of grassland habitat, keep in mind that some shapes and proportions are better for grassland birds than others.
• Figure 4 -- An example of an idealized arrangement of habitats on a Wisconsin farm.
• Figure 5 -- Idealized arrangement of habitats on part of a Wildlife Area managed for grassland birds.
• Figure 6 -- Some patterns of woody vegetation are better for grassland habitat and movement corridors for nest predators and perches for brown-headed cowbirds.
• Figure 7 -- Diagram of mowing a hayfield from the inside out. Lines and arrows indicate the path of the tractor; "S" indicates the starting point.
• Figure 8 -- Location of priority landscapes and sites for grassland bird management in Wisconsin.
• Figure 9 -- Priority landscapes and sites for grassland bird management in the Southwestern Upland Natural Division.
• Figure 10 -- Priority landscapes and sites for grassland bird management in the Southeastern Ridges and Lowlands Natural Division.
• Figure 11 -- Priority landscapes and sites for grassland bird management in the Central Plains Natural Division.
• Figure 12 -- Priority landscapes and sites for grassland bird management in the Lake Michigan Shoreland Natural Division.
• Figure 13 -- Priority landscapes and sites for grassland bird management in the Northern Highland/Lake Superior Lowland Natural Division.

www.dnr.state.wi.us

David W. Sample and Michael J. Mossman Bureau of Integrated Science Services Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707

Wendy M. McCown, Editor Michelle E. Jesko, Design