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Loggerhead Shrike populations in the region have significantly declined. This bird breeds on Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and is a year-round resident. It prefers habitat with grasslands and shrubs. NPS/ANDY BRIDGES
Why Do We Monitor Birds?
Birds are an important part of the world we live in. They eat pests, disperse seeds, and pollinate plants, and birdwatching is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Park interpretive programs often feature birds because of the enjoyment they provide. Birds are also great indicators of environmental change. They serve as the canary in the coal mine, so to speak, for an ecosystem. Agricultural, urban, and industrial development threaten bird habitat in the region around Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Unfortunately, 35% of the birds that breed in and around the preserve are in decline in the larger region. Some birds, like the Black-billed Cuckoo,** Grasshopper Sparrow**,** Loggerhead Shrike**,** and Western Meadowlark**, are declining at alarming rates.
Scientists in the Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network measure changes in birds and their habitat to determine the health of bird communities and park ecosystems. During the breeding season, we survey birds at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and gather information about the habitats that birds live in. We also compare park bird trends to bird trends in the region. Together, these data help researchers determine how bird populations are faring and how birds respond to changes in their habitats. Knowing how birds are doing can help the park take effective steps to restore and maintain the park's beautiful landscapes.
Henslow's Sparrow is a summer resident at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. This species seems to be increasing in recent years with management efforts to promote tall grasses and increased grass litter. Henslow's Sparrow is a species of conservation concern in the larger region. NPS/JEREMY SPRINGFIELD
Bird Communities at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (2001–2023)
We started surveying birds at the park in 2001. In 23 years of surveys we have found 146 different bird species. Of these species, 104 have the potential to breed within the park. This is about 87% of the total species one would reasonably expect to be breeding here.
The number of bird species found during surveys and how they were distributed across the landscape was relatively unchanged over the years. On average, the annual totals were 39 species in the upland tallgrass prairie habitat and 31 species in the riparian (streamside or riverside) habitat at the park. Fourteen breeding species and five other species on the park are considered species of conservation concern for the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie Bird Conservation Region, where the park is located. When managing habitat on the park, it is important to consider these species of concern. Nine breeding species and four migrant species on the preserve are grassland obligates, species that require grassland habitat to survive.
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Birds of Conservation Concern at the Park
Birds of regional concern found in and around Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Code | Park Resident? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acadian Flycatcher | Empidonax virescens | ACFL | migrant |
| Bald Eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | BAEA | winter resident |
| Bell's Vireo | Vireo bellii | BEVI | summer resident |
| Bewick's Wren | Thryomanes bewickii | BEWR | summer resident |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | Coccyzus erythropthalmus | BBCU | summer resident |
| Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | BLTE | migrant |
| Buff-breasted Sandpiper | Calidris subruficollis | BBSA | migrant |
| Dickcissel | Spiza americana | DICK | summer resident |
| Field Sparrow | Spizella pusilla | FISP | year-round resident |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | Ammodramus savannarum | GRSP | summer resident |
| Henslow's Sparrow | Centronyx henslowii | HESP | summer resident |
| Kentucky Warbler | Geothlypis formosa | KEWA | summer resident |
| Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus | LOSH | year-round resident |
| Northern Flicker | Colaptes auratus | NOFL | year-round resident |
| Pied-billed Grebe | Podilymbus podiceps | PBGR | summer resident |
| Prothonotary Warbler | Protonotaria citrea | PROW | summer resident |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | Melanerpes erythrocephalus | RHWO | year-round resident |
| Solitary Sandpiper | Tringa solitaria | SOSA | migrant |
| Upland Sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | UPSA | summer resident |
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Grassland Obligate Bird Species in the Park
Grassland obligate bird species that can be found on Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Code | Park Resident? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobolink | Dolichonyx oryzivorus | BOBO | migrant |
| Dickcissel | Spiza americana | DICK | summer resident |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Sturnella magna | EAME | year-round resident |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | Ammodramus savannarum | GERSP | summer resident |
| Greater Prairie-chicken | Tympanuchus cupido | GPCH | year-round resident |
| Henslow's Sparrow | Ammodramus henslowii | HESP | summer resident |
| Horned Lark | Eremophila alpestris | HOLA | year-round resident |
| Northern Harrier | Circus cyaneus | NOHA | year-round resident |
| Savannah Sparrow | Passerculus sandwichensis | SAVS | migrant |
| Sedge Wren | Cistothorus platensis | SEWR | migrant |
| Upland Sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | UPSA | summer resident |
| Vesper Sparrow | Pooecetes gramineus | VESP | migrant |
| Western Meadowlark | Sturnella neglecta | WEME | year-round resident |
Bird Habitat
The unchanging diversity of birds at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve suggests that the habitat on the park has remained similar or improved across the years. The park is located in the rocky, rolling terrain of the Flint Hills in Kansas. This area has been largely untouched by a plow, and the lush grasslands and riparian areas on the park support the rich array of birds that we find breeding there. We will continue to monitor birds and how they respond to changes in their environment to help the park manage habitat for birds. Conserving bird habitat preserves entire ecosystems for the benefit of all species.
The Eastern Tallgrass Prairie Bird Conservation Region is one of 67 regions identified in the North American Bird Conservation Initiative. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located on the western edge of this region. NPS
Dickcissel is a bird of conservation concern in the region that breeds on Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. It's population increased moderately on the park and in the region over the last 23 years. Dickcissel is a grassland obligate species, which means it requires grasslands to survive. NPS/G. YELLOWHAWK
Trends of Common Bird Species
Sixteen riparian species and 21 upland species had populations that were large enough for us to measure abundance (how many individuals there were). Abundance measures allow us to look at bird population trends in the park and compare them with trends in the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie Bird Conservation Region. Overall, the park bird community is faring as well as the bird community in the region. One notable exception is the Northern Bobwhite, which is doing significantly better in the park than in the region.
Trends in common birds on the park can tell us about bird habitat condition and how it might be changing. However, there are other factors that affect bird trends, including changes in climate. Despite habitat improvement efforts on the park, prolonged drought conditions across Kansas in the last decade or more have reduced the brushy-cattail habitat along waterways and ponds that Red-winged Blackbirds require for roosting. As this habitat has declined, so have the Red-winged Blackbirds.
Western Meadowlark NPS
Did You Know?
Western Meadowlarks are declining at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve as Eastern Meadowlarks are increasing. Western meadowlarks prefer shorter vegetation and Eastern Meadowlarks favor taller and denser vegetation. Changing habitat at the park may explain these trends. From 2005 through 2023, the park set fewer prescribed burns and reduced the number of grazing cattle compared to the early years of our bird surveys (2001 through 2005). In the Windmill Pasture, bison replaced cattle in 2009. These changes have resulted in the taller and thicker vegetation that the Eastern Meadowlark prefers.
For More Information
Visit the Heartland Inventory & Monitoring Network website.
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