“BIRDS ARE EXCELLENT INDICATORS OF ECOSYSTEM HEALTH. THEREFORE IT IS OF GREAT CONCERN THAT FOUR SPECIES OF GRASSLAND SONGBIRDS HAVE DECLINED BY OVER 75% SINCE THE 1960s. THESE ‘CANARIES OF THE PRAIRIES’ INDICATE THAT HABITAT LOSS AND DEGRADATION ARE THREATENING NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM,” says Kevin Ellison, Grasslands Ecologist, Northern Great Plains.

On Monday, January 18, 2021, Kevin will present what promises to be a fascinating program on the alarming decline of Grassland Birds, what the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is doing to preserve and restore grasslands in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) and thus create an environment that will sustain these birds and allow them to thrive. Kevin has more than 25 years of experience conducting research in avian ecology. Originally from “Tallgrass Country” in Illinois, Kevin developed an interest in grassland birds and eventually studied the relationships between grassland birds and grazing management in Montana, the Dakotas and Saskatchewan. He began working for WWF in 2013.He works with their “Sustainable Ranching Initiative” (SRI), assessing avian data, doing bird surveys, banding birds and tracking their habits and migration as well as working with over 50 ranchers in the region.

The Northern Great Plains (NGP) span 180 million acres across five U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. WWF has prioritized this region because of its intact habitats and biodiversity. As with grasslands globally, the region’s grasslands are threatened primarily by conversion to annual row crops. WWF’s geographic focus in the US portion of the NGP is 35 priority counties (61 million acres) comprising the areas of highest species diversity and the most intact grasslands. 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of WWF’s Sustainable Ranching Initiative (SRI), a program that focuses on working with ranchers and private landowners in the NGP to conserve intact grasslands. Because more than 70% of remaining grasslands occurs on private land, the SRI strategic plan centers on protecting, sustainably managing, and restoring native grasslands. . So far, the SRI’s emphasis has been on rancher engagement through grassland bird surveys, capacity-building efforts, conservation award programs, and science communications like the Plowprint Report. 

To learn more join Bitterroot Audubon on January 18^th at 7:00 P.M. via ZOOM.

The Public is invited. If you need more information, contact Kay Fulton at 406-360-8664 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

                                                                         HAPPY NEW YEAR!!