| Grassland birds are losing habitat all over this continent and have experienced more widespread population declines than any other birds in the US and Canada. The primary reasons are loss and abandonment of farmland, conversion of grass hayfields to annual crops, more intense hayfield mowing, neglect of fallow fields, and loss of tropic wintering habitats. Currently, efforts to conserve their Northeastern habitat are scattered and with varying results. Many organizations and agencies have boosted grassland bird habitat conservation to the top of their environmental agenda, including Audubon, NRCS, US Fish and Wildlife, and Partners in Flight.
Cornell Cooperative Extension now has new guidelines (Winter 2006) for rural landowners, farm operators, agronomists, and natural resource professionals in New York to boost grassland bird habitats. Download the free bulletins below:
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Enhancing Pastures for Grassland Bird Habitat
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Hayfield Management and Grassland Bird Conservation |
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Transforming Fields into Grassland Bird Habitat
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There are tradeoffs when managing a hayfield for quality hay and grassland bird habitat, but not as severe as once thought. This bulletin contains guidelines for timing of hayfield mowing to balance animal nutrition and habitat conservation, mowing strategies, rotating fields, and seeding.
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Technical bulletin for rural landowners who have fields and open land ready to be converted to good grassland bird habitat. It provides a step-by-step procedure to convert large lots into high-quality grassland habitat.
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South Central New York Grassland Birds
Pasture Use Inventory
Are grassland birds currently using pastures as habitat? After more than 250 hours of field work at 24 cooperating livestock farms in Steuben, Schuyler, and Chemung counties, we have lots of evidence to suggest YES.
In Spring / Summer 2005, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County coordinated a census of livestock pastures in South Central New York to determine which species of birds are currently utilizing these productive agricultural areas. Grassland species were of particular interest and all other species of birds in the pastures were noted as well.
This survey confirms that grassland species of birds, including threatened species and species of concern, are utilizing livestock pastures as a possible breeding area:
- 50 percent or more of the pastures had Savannah Sparrow, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Meadowlark, Field Sparrow, Killdeer, Eastern Kingbird, Bobolink, Tree and Barn Swallows, European Starling, and Red-winged Blackbird.
- 25 to 50 percent of the pastures had Vesper Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, American Kestrel, House Wren, Eastern Towhee, Eastern Bluebird, Brown Thrasher, and Gray Catbird.
- Less than 15 percent of the pastures had Broad-winged Hawk, Upland Sandpiper, Horned Lark, Ring-necked Pheasant, and Northern Harrier.
- Species that require or favor grasslands for habitat but were not observed in the livestock pastures during this survey included Clay-colored Sparrow, Henslow's Sparrow, Dickcissel, Purple Martin, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Cooper's Hawk.
Grasshopper Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, and Horned Lark are of special concern; they are native species for which a welfare concern or risk of endangerment has been documented in New York State. Upland Sandpiper is threatened - a native species likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future in New York State.
Download and read the complete report:
 Grassland Birds
Regional Pasture Use Inventory
Links to other great grassland habitat resources:
Managing Habitat for Grassland Birds:
A Guide for Wisconsin - This site is the web version of an excellent book about grasslands in the upper Midwest, plus species accounts and management recommendations.
Massachusetts Audubon Grassland Conservation Program at the Center for Biological Conservation - Extensive descriptions of grassland habitats, bird usage, and grassland habitat management in the Northeast and especially New England.
Effects of Management Practices on Grassland Birds - Technical reports about North American grassland bird species and the effects of various management systems.
Bird Song Master - Interactive software to help you learn bird songs from audio CD recordings.
Acknowledgements:
This project was funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, administered by the Finger Lakes Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc.
PS Graphic Design
Julie Zickefoose - Indigo Hills Arts
Barry van Dusen
Brian Small Photo
For details and specific questions, contact Jim Ochterski at (607) 535-7161 or jao14@cornell.edu
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