The Birds Are Back in Town
This update was written by conservation ecologist Andy Boyce.
![A small bird called a mountain plover stands among short grasses on a vast expanse of land at the American Prairie Reserve in Monatana](/sites/default/files/paragraphs/single_image/mountain_plover_best.jpg)
Mountain plovers only breed on large expanses of short-grass and bare ground in Western North America. Their numbers have declined steeply over the last 50 years, in part due to a 98% reduction in prairie dog towns across the west.
Luckily, much of the land here is protected in one way or another. American Prairie Reserve conserves vast areas of grassland for the benefit of biodiversity and the enjoyment of the public. The Reserve has also begun to reintroduce American bison, whose grazing habits produce a mosaic of habitats – short grass for the McCown’s longspurs and mountain plovers, medium grass for the chestnut-collared longspurs and grasshopper sparrows, and tall luxuriant patches for Sprague’s pipits and Baird’s sparrows.
Ultimately, grassland conservation means providing a suitable home for everyone, from bison to birds alike.
Want to know more about this project? Check out additional videos, photos and blogs from the field.