Managing Habitat for Grassland Birds
A Guide for Wisconsin
Table 5. Habitat feature preferences of the 26 grassland bird species of management concern.a |
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| Height-density of Herbaceous Vegetation c |
Litter Layerd | Cover of Standing Residual Vegetatione |
Grass:forb ratio f |
Cover of Bare Ground |
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| Grassland Species Groups b | short (<15 cm) |
medium (15-35 cm) |
tall (>35 cm) |
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| SHORTGRASS SPECIES | |||||||||||||||
| Vesper sparrow | x | (x) | low | low | medium | high | |||||||||
| Grasshopper sparrow | x | (x) | medium | medium | medium | medium | |||||||||
| Upland sandpiper | x | (x) | medium | medium | medium | medium | |||||||||
| Western meadowlark | x | (x) | medium | low | medium | medium | |||||||||
| MIDGRASS SPECIES | |||||||||||||||
| Savannah sparrow | (x) | x | (x) | medium | low | medium | low | ||||||||
| Eastern meadowlark | (x) | x | (x) | high | medium | medium | medium | ||||||||
| Bobolink | (x) | x | (x) | medium | medium | medium | medium | ||||||||
| Dickcissel | (x) | x | (x) | medium | medium | low | medium | ||||||||
| TALLGRASS SPECIES | |||||||||||||||
| Le Conte's sparrow | (x) | x | high | high? | high? | low | |||||||||
| Yellow rail | x | high | high | high? | low | ||||||||||
| Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrow | x | high | high | high? | low | ||||||||||
| Henslow's sparrow | (x) | x | high | high | high | low | |||||||||
| Sedge wren | (x) | x | high | high | high | low | |||||||||
| SPECIES REQUIRING WOODY VEGETATION OR OTHER NESTING STRUCTURE | |||||||||||||||
| Loggerhead shrike | x | (x) | medium? | low? | medium? | low? | |||||||||
| Bell's vireo | (x) | x? | (x) | medium | medium? | ? | low | ||||||||
| Clay-colored sparrow | (x) | x | high | medium | medium | medium | |||||||||
| Field sparrow | (x) | x | (x) | high | medium | high | medium | ||||||||
| Lark sparrow | x | low | low | high | high | ||||||||||
| Brewer's blackbird | x | (x) | low | low | high | high | |||||||||
| SPECIES REQUIRING OPEN WATER | |||||||||||||||
| Blue-winged teal | (x) | x | (x) | medium | low | high? | low | ||||||||
| Wilson's phalarope | x | (x) | high | medium | high? | low | |||||||||
| SPECIES REQUIRING LARGE AREAS (AREA-SENSITIVE) | |||||||||||||||
| Northern harrier | (x)i | (x) | x | medium | medium | medium? | medium | ||||||||
| Greater prairie-chicken | x j | x | (x) | medium? | high? | high? | medium? | ||||||||
| Sharp-tailed grouse | x j | x | x | medium? | high? | medium? | medium? | ||||||||
| Barn owl | x | x | x | medium? | medium? | ? | low? | ||||||||
| Short-eared owl | (x)i | (x) | x | high | high | high? | low | ||||||||
Table 5. Continued. |
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| Woody Vegetation | Preferred Wetland Features (* = required) |
Minimum Area Requirements f | |||||||||||||
| Grassland Species Groups b | Type | % Cover g
|
low (<25 acres) |
medium (25-250 acres) |
high (>250 acres) |
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| none | low (>0-5%) |
medium (5-30%) |
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| SHORTGRASS SPECIES | |||||||||||||||
| Vesper sparrow | trees/shrubs | (x) | x | (x) | x? | x? | |||||||||
| Grasshopper sparrow | x | (x) | (x) | x? | |||||||||||
| Upland sandpiper | x | (x) | x | x? | |||||||||||
| Western meadowlark | x | (x) | x | x? | |||||||||||
| MIDGRASS SPECIES | |||||||||||||||
| Savannah sparrow | x | (x) | x? | ||||||||||||
| Eastern meadowlark | shrubs/trees | (x) | x | (x) | x | ||||||||||
| Bobolink | x | (x) | x | ||||||||||||
| Dickcissel | x | (x) | x | ||||||||||||
| TALLGRASS SPECIES | |||||||||||||||
| Le Conte's sparrow | x | (x) | wet sedge/grass meadows | x? | |||||||||||
| Yellow rail | x | (x) | *wet sedge/grass meadows | x? | |||||||||||
| Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrow | x | (x) | *wet sedge/grass meadows | x? | |||||||||||
| Henslow's sparrow | x | (x) | x? | x? | |||||||||||
| Sedge wren | x | (x) | wet sedge/grass meadows | x? | |||||||||||
| SPECIES REQUIRING WOODY VEGETATION OR OTHER NESTING STRUCTURE | |||||||||||||||
| Loggerhead shrike | trees/shrubs | x | (x) | x? | |||||||||||
| Bell's vireo | shrubs | (x) | x | x? | |||||||||||
| Clay-colored sparrow | shrubs | (x) | x | x | |||||||||||
| Field sparrow | shrubs | (x) | x | x | |||||||||||
| Lark sparrow | shrubs | (x) | x | (x) | x? | ||||||||||
| Brewer's blackbird | trees/shrubs | (x) | x | (x) | x | ||||||||||
| SPECIES REQUIRING OPEN WATER | |||||||||||||||
| Blue-winged teal | x | (x) | *open water | x | |||||||||||
| Wilson's phalarope | x | (x) | *standing water; wet sedge/grass meadows |
x? | |||||||||||
| SPECIES REQUIRING LARGE AREAS (AREA-SENSITIVE) | |||||||||||||||
| Northern harrier | (x) | x | (x) | wet sedge/grass meadows | x? | x | |||||||||
| Greater prairie-chicken | (x) | x | (x) | x | |||||||||||
| Sharp-tailed grouse | shrubs | (x) | x | x | |||||||||||
| Barn owl | (x) | x | (x) | forages over wetlands | x | ||||||||||
| Short-eared owl | (x) | x | (x) | forages over wetlands | x? | ||||||||||
a Information based on data and observations from the Wisconsin grassland bird study and from the midwestern grassland bird literature. Where data are lacking, conflicting, or inconclusive, a question mark appears.
b See Appendix F for additional information on the habitat requirements of grassland bird species, including species not of management concern.
c See Glossary for definition of height-density. x = most preferred categories; (x) = less preferred categories.
d See Glossary for definition of litter layer. Categories (high/medium/low) refer to both the depth of litter and percent of ground surface covered.
e Categories refer to both the height-density and percent of ground surface covered.
f Cover of grasses (or sedges) in relation to forbs: high = >2.5:1 grass:forb, medium = 1:1 to 2.5:1 grass:forb; low = <1:1 grass:forb.
g Percent of ground surface covered by woody vegetation canopy. x = most preferred categories; (x) = less preferred categories.
h Minimum area required for a species to be likely to occupy a site.
i Typically foraging habitat only.
j Used for dancing or booming grounds.
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