Entries Tagged 'Partners in Flight' ↓

Winnebago County rests in a zone of transition. Part one of this series discussed the Dissected Till Plains. This is part 2 of 3 of this series.

The Prairie Peninsula, according to Partners In Flight, is located in Missouri, much of Illinois, and parts of Indiana and Ohio. This is the area that once earned Illinois the nickname The Prairie State. Nearly all of the prairie is gone now, but what remains is vital for many bird species.

Some of the birds that are declining in this area include: Greater Prairie-Chicken, Henslow’s Sparrow, & Dickcissel in the grassland areas; Bell’s Vireo in scrubland; Black Rail in wetland areas; and Cerulean Warbler & Red-headed Woodpecker in the savanna areas. Of these birds, the Henslow’s Sparrow, Dickcissel, Bell’s Vireo, Cerulean Warbler, and Red-headed Woodpecker all nest in Winnebago County.

Many of these birds are the same as found in the Dissected Till Plains, but the mix of savanna add woodland birds. Surprising, the Eastern Wood-Pewee is a bird of concern in this area because the reproductive numbers are too low to sustain a healthy population. The birds are relatively common, but it is presumed this is from birds migrating from other habitats with sustainable populations.

The full report and plan for this area can be found here.

Winnebago county, located in northern Illinois is a zone of ecological transition. This is Part 1 of 3 describing the meeting of three distinct Physiographic zones as described by Partner’s In Flight.

The Dissected Till Plains occupies part of the northwest of Illinois and spreads through most of Iowa, and parts of Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Kansas. The range ends in Winnebago county.

“Natural vegetation is a mosaic of tallgrass bluestem prairie and oak-hickory forest with oak savannahs characteristic of transition zones. Bottomland hardwoods grow in river valleys.” (Partners In Flight)

Some of the key species of birds for this area are: Greater Prairie-Chicken, Henslow’s Sparrow, Bobolink, Field Sparrow, and Loggerhead Shrike. Of these birds only the Henslow’s and Field Sparrows have been confirmed nesters in the last few years in Winnebago. Historically, Greater Prairie-Chickens boomed in the western part of the county but are no more.

Other birds associated with grassland areas of the Dissected Till Plains are Dickcissels and Grasshopper Sparrow. Grasslands with shrub-areas would include species like Bell’s Vireo (confirmed nester) and Brown Thrasher (relatively common).

Extensive data can be gleaned from the 60-page plan created by Partner’s In Flight.

The Partners in Flight Area Plan for Subtropical Florida includes the southern part of Florida from Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Keys. The region is broken up into four sub-regions, the Everglades being the largest.

Fire and hurricanes play significant roles in the ecology of the region.

Partners in Flight is working with many local organizations such as Save Our Everglades Program, the Surface Water Improvement and Management Act, Florida’s Everglades Forever Act and the development of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force.

As many birders know, southern Florida is superb for birding. Some of the birds that are part of the Subtropical Florida plan are:
* Florida subspecies of Burrowing Owl, Sandhill Crane and Prairie Warbler
* Florida populations of Crested Caracara, Snail Kite, Short-tailed Hawk
* Cape Sable subspecies of Seaside Sparrow
* Cuban subspecies of Yellow Warbler
* Clapper, Yellow, and Black Rails
There are many other birds, some of which are extirpated from the area but could hopefully return some day.

Yellow Warbler, part of the Free to Use Bird Photos on Flickr

The plan is not completed yet and the date of completion is currently unknown. I will update when it is published.

Map of the Partners in Flight Area Plans