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CONVENTION CONSERVATION PROJECTS

2000: Pawnee Prairie Partners

Native prairie grassland birds likely have the largest proportions and steepest population declines of any behavioral or ecological bird guild in North America, including neotropical migrants. Many of these species are endemic or are closely associated with the Great Plains grasslands. The Colorado Bird Observatory's Pawnee Prairie Partners is a comprehensive program designed to conserve shortgrass prairie birds in the very important lands surrounding and including Pawnee National Grasslands.

Pawnee National Grasslands contains 193,000 acres of mostly rangelands and is interspersed with private lands consisting of range, pasture, fallow fields, conservation reserve program grasslands, rural areas and many other land uses. Because the area is a patchwork, with each patch having its own potential to support birds, an overall approach is needed to guide management of lands around Pawnee National Grasslands.

The ABA grant will support research to determine the status of birds through inventories on both private and federal lands. Results from private lands will then put in an overall context with federal lands, which drives a complete and cooperative approach to shortgrass prairie bird and habitat conservation. Through this concerted approach, important areas will be conserved and no bird species or areas important to a species will be left out of conservation plans.

Bird species that will benefit under this proposal include: Ferruginous Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Mountain Plover, Long-billed Curlew, Burrowing Owl, Cassin's Sparrow, Lark Bunting, McCown's Longspur, and Chestnut-collared Longspur. Many of these species are candidates for Endangered Species Act listing, species of management concern, and/or species of special concern. One of the most likely candidates for listing, the Mountain Plover, is a shortgrass prairie-dependent species. Most of these species show large population declines because of the large number and severity of threats on both breeding and winter habitat.

Mike Carter
Executive Director
Colorado Bird Observatory