GRASSLAND BIRDS If you are interested in recent sightings click the following site managed by Bob Bowles: www.b2g4.com/boards/board.cgi?user=CardenBirdBoard Grassland birds have shown steeper, more consistent and more geographically widespread decline in population than any other guild of North American species (USGS, 1999; Dale, 1998). Recently, breeding bird surveys in the United States and Canada have shown alarming declines in grassland birds (Jones et al., 1998; Dale, 1998). For example, in the Northeastern United States Bobolinks have declined by 38 percent and Grasshopper Sparrows by 69 percent in the past 25 years. Preliminary results from breeding bird surveys in Canada have shown significant declines of several species. Estimates of the numbers of breeding pairs of grassland/shrubland birds found within the Carden Plain IBA, summer 2000. * Priority species for Victoria County (Couturier 1999). ‡ Nationally declining population (BSC, 1999). Species Click on underlined names for pictures and information. Estimated Number of Breeding Pairs 1 Preferred Habitat(s) Northern Harrier * 20 Grassland Red-tailed Hawk 8 Treed grassland American Kestrel *‡ 20 Grassland, shrubland Upland Sandpiper *‡ 200 Grassland Black-billed Cuckoo *‡ (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) 30 Treed grassland, shrubland Short-eared Owl *‡ 1-2 Grassland, limestone pavement Common Nighthawk * 200 Limestone pavement Whip-poor-will *‡ 100 Limestone pavement, shrubland Northern Flicker ‡ 300 Treed grassland, shrubland Eastern Kingbird * 1000 Grassland, shrubland Loggerhead Shrike *‡ 9 Shrubland Horned Lark * 100 Grassland, limestone pavement Eastern Bluebird * 500 Grassland Gray Catbird ‡ 400 Shrubland Northern Mockingbird * 3 Grassland Brown Thrasher * † 400 Treed grassland, shrubland Golden-winged Warbler *‡ 100 Shrubland Chestnut-sided Warbler * 400 Shrubland Eastern Towhee *‡ 500 Shrubland Clay-colored Sparrow *† 30 Treed grassland, shrubland Field Sparrow *† 400 Shrubland Vesper Sparrow *† 350 Grassland, shrubland Savannah Sparrow *‡ 2000 Grassland Grasshopper Sparrow *‡ 200 Grassland Song Sparrow * 1200 Shrubland, grassland Indigo Bunting * 80 Shrubland Bobolink *‡ 1000 Grassland Eastern Meadowlark *‡ 1500 Grassland American Goldfinch * 800 Grassland, shrubland RARE SPECIES Click on underlined names for pictures and information.     Black Tern 20-40 Wetland Vulnerable Henslow's Sparrow Former Grassland endangered Least Brittern 5-10 Wetlands vulnerable Red-headed Woodpecker 3 Forest vulnerable Red-shouldered Hawk 3-5 Vulnerable Short-eared Owl 1 Grassland vulnerable Yellow Rail 3 Wetland vulnerable Osprey 6 Wetlands & Lakes Estimates are approximate.

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