Grasslands are great: grassland bird viewing is a highlight of the spring and summer

Many of us who were raised in rural areas spent summer days exploring the fields and meadows near our homes – traipsing through the grasses to catch butterflies and snakes while listening to the constant drone of insects and the songs of birds.

From meadowlarks to pheasants, sparrows to blackbirds, grasslands are rich in bird life. Many of Michigan's birds have adapted to life in a sea of grass. They eat the insects that frequent the fields and build their nests among the dense cover of the grassy stems. Grasslands also provide tasty seeds for many seed-eating birds like American goldfinches and cozy winter cover for birds like ring-necked pheasants.

Spring and summer are great months to visit grasslands and view the variety of birds that make their homes among the grasses. While visiting, make sure to tread carefully, as many birds nest on the ground.

Some of Michigan's common grassland birds include the eastern meadowlark, savannah sparrow, field sparrow, red-winged blackbird, ring-necked pheasant and vesper sparrow. Upland sandpipers, grasshopper sparrows, northern harriers and bobolinks are less common, but charismatic, residents of grasslands.

This spring, Michigan has been host to an eruption of dickcissels across the Lower Peninsula. Named for their sharp "dick dick ciss ciss ciss" song, dickcissels are found each year in small numbers in Michigan's grasslands. Generally this species nests farther west on prairies in the Midwestern and Plains states. This year, however, many of Michigan's large meadows have dickcissel populations numbering higher than a dozen!

This beautiful bird winters in Mexico and Central and South America, where it is considered an agricultural pest and is sometimes persecuted as such. Large flocks of over a million birds will gather and feed on grains in their wintering grounds. Michigan's dickcissel population fluctuates, and every so often, like this year, we are treated to a bounty of these birds.

Some of the state's most imperiled species are grassland species. This habitat type has declined drastically over the last 150 years due to the conversion of grasslands to agriculture, residential and commercial development, and the succession of grasslands into forestlands. This decline in habitat has led directly to declines in Henslow's sparrow, grasshopper sparrow and short-eared owl populations, among other species.

The Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative is working to improve and enhance Michigan's remaining grasslands on private and public lands in southern Michigan. This includes planting diverse mixes of grasses and wildflowers for birds. Extensive grassland restoration work is in progress at Lake Hudson State Recreation Area in Lenawee County, Verona State Game Area in Huron County, Sharonville State Game Area in Jackson and Washtenaw counties, and Maple River State Game Area in Gratiot County as well as other public and private lands in southern Michigan.

Made up of many partners, the Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative is aiming to restore and enhance Michigan pheasant habitat (grasslands), populations, and hunting opportunities on private and public lands via pheasant cooperatives. This conservation initiative works by acquiring state, federal and partner resources to assist landowners in the cooperatives to improve wildlife habitat on their properties and by improving grassland habitat on selected state game areas, recreation areas or other public lands. To learn more, visit www.mi.gov/pheasant.