Grassland birds were traditionally found in vast numbers across the prairies of the Great Plains region. But today the birds of these grasslands have shown a steep and more geographically widespread decline than any other group of North American species. A direct cause of this decline is the loss of the Great Plains grasslands. This loss is a direct result of human activity such as the conversion of native prairie land to agruculture, urban development, and suppression of naturally occurring fire. As a result, the Great Plains are generally regarded as the most endangered major ecosystem in North America. Some endangered species of grassland birds include the Sharp-tailed Grouse and the Praire Chicken. This decline in the grasslands also affects birds from other areas. The Great Plains grassslands provide important stopover habitats that are crucial for other bird's migration patterns, some 300 birds species breed in the Great Plains, which is almost three-quarters of the breeding bird species in the U.S
To learn more go to: . http://my.nature.org/birds/about/grassland.html
