Healthy grasslands are not only important in supporting working farms and their livestock but are important habitats for birds and other wildlife. In fact, monitoring your grasslands for bird species that depend on open spaces can tell us a lot about the health of your grasslands. Monitoring the presence or absence of grassland bird focal species is a great indicator of system health. Since birds utilize a range of habitat types and features, you can modify your management to create habitat for the bird species you want to promote. By considering things such as timing, duration, and intensity of your grazing, you can create healthy grasslands that support rapidly declining grassland bird species while also optimizing livestock health.

Get more information on Sand County Foundation's bird monitoring efforts available to you. Contact Sand County Foundation Agricultural Conservation Specialist, Briana Schnelle, at bschelle@sandcountyfoundation.org (608) 630-3470.