Like many states, Illinois has experienced rigorous declines in abundance of the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and several other species of grassland songbirds. In fact, the Breeding Bird Survey has documented the decline of more grassland species than any other guild of bird in North American. Although the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has been credited to contributing to the conservation of various declining species, this has not been the case in Illinois. An early assessment of CRP benefits for bobwhites in Illinois failed to distinguish a link between bobwhite abundance and the amount of CRP grasslands acreage in the primary bobwhite region. They found that > 93 % of CRP fields were planted to exotic cool-season grasses, primarily tall fescue. While fescue is good in retaining soil erosion, its rank growth greatly reduces its values as avian habitat. In particular, ground nesting and foraging birds find it difficult to penetrate the thick growth when in search of nesting sites and food prey. To counter this, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has required a Management program to convert fescue into more desirable grassland habitat.
My study is designed to: 1) evaluate changes in the plant community composition and field use by grassland birds to CRP Management, 2) document arthropod food prey and foraging efficiency of select precoccial and altricial bird species following management 3) document nest site selection and nesting success of select grassland birds, and 4) assess cost-effectiveness of three CRP Management practices.
This study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the CRP Management Farm Bill program to increase habitat quality for nesting grassland bird in fescue-dominated CRP fields of Southcentral Illinois. I will use this information to provide cost-effective guidelines and management practice recommendations to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
