Managing Habitat for Grassland Birds
A Guide for Wisconsin

This publication is designed to help managers plan and implement habitat management for grassland birds in Wisconsin. We describe the goals and organizing principles of grassland bird management in the state, beginning with some definitions and a discussion of bird-habitat relationships and bird distribution. We then discuss overall management philosophy, and proceed to identify management priorities for both grassland birds and habitats statewide. General habitat management guidelines are then discussed, as are management recommendations based on species' responses to general and specific management practices. Lastly, we address management issues and priorities for birds and habitats within each natural division in Wisconsin (Figure 1).⁵

This guide should help land owners, land managers, and planners identify the grassland bird species, communities, and habitats of management concern both in their local areas and statewide, and it should also help them determine what management practices will support specific habitats, bird species, or communities. We also identify specific landscapes, sites, and properties worthy of special management attention in Wisconsin.

Figure 1.  Natural Divisions of Wisconsin, as described by Hole and Germain (1994).