Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Managing Habitat for Grassland Birds
A Guide for Wisconsin


Table 1.  The species composition of Wisconsin's grassland bird communities. a ,b
  GIF-Cattle egret GIF-Am. green-winged teal GIF-Mallard GIF-Northern pintail GIF-Blue-winged teal GIF-Northern Shoveler GIF-Gadwall GIF-American wigeon GIF-Northern harrier GIF-Red-tailed hawk GIF-American kestrel GIF-Gray partridge GIF-Ring-nicked pheasant GIF-Greater prairie-chicken GIF-Sharp-tailed grouse GIF-Northern bobwhite GIF-Yellow rail GIF-Killdeer GIF-Upland sandpiper
Habitat Types c
Row crops     F           f     F F f f F   S f
Small grains                 F F F O O f f F   O  
Fallow fields     O           o F F O O f f O   O o
Alfalfa or legume hay f o O   O   o o o F F O O f f O   O o
Grass or grass/legume hay f o O   O   o o O F F O O o f O   O o
Pastures d f o O o O   o o O W W O L l   O   H S
Idle cool season/grass/forb-short f o O o O o o o F W W o   o o O   O o
Idle cool season/grass/forb-med. f o O o O o o o O W W O O o o O     o
Idle cool season/grass/forb-tall   o O   o o o o O W W O O o   o      
Idle warm season/grass/forb-med. f o O   O o o o O W W O O o o O     o
Idle warm season/grass/forb-tall     O       o   O W W   O o   O      
Dry old field f o o o O o o o O W W O O o o O     o
Upland shrub   o O         o o W W O O   o O     o
Wet old field f o O   O o o o O W W   O o o O   O o
Shrubby wet old field o o O   O   o o O W W O O   o O   o  
Dry or sand prairie                    W W     o o o      
Dry-mesic prairie e f o O o O o o o O W W o O o   O     o
Wet-mesic or wet prairie f o O o O o o o O W W   O o         o
Oak savanna   o O o o o o o O O O O O o w O     o
Southern sedge meadow f o O o O o o o O W W   O       o   o
Northern sedge meadow   o O o O o o o O W W       o   s   o
Southern sedge marsh   o D o O o o o O                 O  
Northern sedge marsh   o D o D o o o O               o O  
Shrub swamp o o O   O   o   O W     O   o o   O  
Open bog   o O         o O           o        
Mossed bog   o             O                    
Open barrens                 O O O       o     O S
Diverse barrens     o           S O O       o     O S
Brush prairie barrens     o           O           s     O O
Oak or river barrens                   O O         o   O  
Conifer barrens                   O O         o   O  
Cut- or burned-over                   W W       o       o
Young conifer plantation                 o F F         o      
Orchard                               o      
Park or golf course f   O             O O         o   O  


Table 1.  Continued.
  GIF-Wilson's phalarope GIF-Mourning dove GIF-Barn owl GIF-Short-eared owl GIF-Common nighthawk GIF-Red-headed woodpecker GIF-Alder flycatcher GIF-Willow flycatcher GIF-Eastern kingbird GIF-Horned lark GIF-Barn swallow GIF-Sedge wren GIF-Eastern bluebird GIF-Loggerhead shrike GIF-Bell's vireo GIF-Common yellowthroat GIF-Dickcissel GIF-Clay-colored sparrow GIF-Field sparrow
Habitat Types c
Row crops   O             F S F                
Small grains   F f f         F D F o       o      
Fallow fields   O f f   F     F D F     f   O O O  
Alfalfa or legume hay   O f f         F O F o   f   o O o  
Grass or grass/legume hay   O f o         F O F O   f   O O o  
Pastures d   O f l o W   W W H F l W w w W L W W
Idle cool season/grass/forb-short   W f f   W   W W O F   W w w W   W W
Idle cool season/grass/forb-med. o W f o   W w W W   F O W w w O O W W
Idle cool season/grass/forb-tall o   f o   W w W W   F D     w D o W w
Idle warm season/grass/forb-med.   W f o   W   W W   F O W w w W O w W
Idle warm season/grass/forb-tall     f o   W   W W   F D     w D O w W
Dry old field   O f o   W   W W o F o W w w W O W W
Upland shrub   O f o   W o O O   F o O o o D o D D
Wet old field o   f o   W W W W   F O W   w O O W w
Shrubby wet old field   O f o   W O O O   F O O   o D o D o
Dry or sand prairie   O f f o W   W W O F   W w w o   O D
Dry-mesic prairie e   W f o   W   W W   F   W w w O O o O
Wet-mesic or wet prairie o   f o   W w W W   F D     w D O o  
Oak savanna   O o o   O   w O   F o O w w O O w W
Southern sedge meadow o   f o       W W   F D     w D      
Northern sedge meadow s     o     W w W   F D       O   w  
Southern sedge marsh s             W W   F O       O      
Northern sedge marsh s           W w W   F D       O      
Shrub swamp   O f o     S D O   F O o   o D   O o
Open bog       o     W   W   F D       D   O  
Mossed bog       f             F D       O      
Open barrens   o   o O       O   F o O     O   D D
Diverse barrens   O   o O O     D   F   O     D   D D
Brush prairie barrens   O   o     O   O   F o O     D   D D
Oak or river barrens   D     o O     O   F   O   o O o O D
Conifer barrens   O     O O     O   F   O     O   O D
Cut- or burned-over   O     O   O   O O F   O     D   D D
Young conifer plantation   O f f         O O F   O     O   D D
Orchard   D       O     O   F   O o   O     D
Park or golf course   O       O     O   F   O     O   o O


Table 1.  Continued.
  GIF-Vesper sparrow GIF-Lark sparrow GIF-Savannah sparrow GIF-Grasshopper sparrow GIF-Henslow's sparrow GIF-Le Conte's sparrow GIF-Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrow GIF-Song sparrow GIF-Swamp sparrow GIF-Bobolink GIF-Red-winged blackbird GIF-Eastern meadowlark GIF-Western meadowlark GIF-Brewer's blackbird GIF-Common grackle GIF-Brown-headed cowbird GIF-Orchard oriole GIF-American Goldfinch
Habitat Types c
Row crops D o F F       F     F f f F F o   f
Small grains O   O F o     F   O D O o   F o   f
Fallow fields D o D D o     O   O D O o O F o   D
Alfalfa or legume hay o   D O o     o   D D O O O f o   f
Grass or grass/legume hay o   D O o o   o o D D O O O f o   f
Pastures d     D D l     W L D L D D O w O w O
Idle cool season/grass/forb-short O o D D       W   O O D O O W O w O
Idle cool season/grass/forb-med. o   D O o o   O o D D D O O W O w O
Idle cool season/grass/forb-tall     O   o o   D D O D O   o W O w O
Idle warm season/grass/forb-med. O   D D o     O   D D D O O W O w O
Idle warm season/grass/forb-tall o   o O s     O D O D O     W O w O
Dry old field O o D D o     W   D D D O O W O w O
Upland shrub O o O O o     D   o D D o o O D o D
Wet old field     D   o     W O D D O   O O O w D
Shrubby wet old field     O   o     D O O D O     O O   D
Dry or sand prairie D s O S       D   o o D O O   O w O
Dry-mesic prairie e O   D O o     O   D O D O w W O w O
Wet-mesic or wet prairie     O o o     D D D D O o w W D w D
Oak savanna o   O O o     W   O D D o w W D s O
Southern sedge meadow     O   o     w D O D O     w o   W
Northern sedge meadow     D     s s w D D D o   O w o   w
Southern sedge marsh     o     o   w D o D       w     w
Northern sedge marsh     o     o s w O o D o           w
Shrub swamp     o         D D o D       O O   D
Open bog     D   o     D O O D     D   o   o
Mossed bog     D   D s   O   O O              
Open barrens D o   D       O   o O o O D   O   D
Diverse barrens D   o o       D     O   O D o O   D
Brush prairie barrens D     o       O o O O     O o O   D
Oak or river barrens D s   O       D     O O o o O D s D
Conifer barrens D o o o       O     o       o D   D
Cut- or burned-over D             D o         O o D   D
Young conifer plantation D o o O       D     O O o O O O   D
Orchard o   o         D     D O     D O o D
Park or golf course               O     O       D O o D

a  Species are shown in taxonomic order. Includes 40 species that require grasslands and 16 other species that commonly occur in grasslands (see text). See Appendix E for non-grassland bird species typically associated with these communities. Bolded names are species of management concern, which are the focus of this report; discussion of our selection of these species is in "Identifying Bird Species of Management Concern and Priority Habitats for Wisconsin".

b  D = dominant breeding species;  S = specialist (species with relatively limited distributions that occur more commonly in this habitat than in most others);  O = occurs as a breeding species;  F = forages, but does not typically breed;  W = woody vegetation of appropriate type is required for nesting (otherwise forages only);  L = occurs with very light grazing (often lowland sites with tall vegetation);  H = occurs with heavy grazing.  NOTE: in all cases, bolded uppercase letters indicate species that are relatively common, while lowercase letters indicate species that are typically uncommon to rare (but see regional distributional differences in Table 2).

c  See Appendix E for habitat type descriptions. Bird communities are composed of all species associated with a habitat type.
d  Lightly to moderately grazed pastures (unless L or H specified; L=very light grazing, H=heavy grazing).
e  True mesic prairies are too rare and small to receive significant use from grassland birds and are thus excluded from the list of habitats.

Click "Back" on Your Browser to Return to Text
Return to Contents
NPWRC Home | Site Map | About Us | Staff | Search | Contact | Web Help | Copyright

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Take Pride in America home page. FirstGov button U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/wiscbird/table1.htm
Page Contact Information: npwrc@usgs.gov
Page Last Modified: August 3, 2006