Temperate grasslands (often called prairie or steppe) are one of the most globally endangered ecosystems, and they are home to the most steeply declining groups of birds in North America. This is an urgent conservation issue that needs solving. 

Grassland bird populations respond positively to restoration of bison and fire, two essential “ecological disturbances” that shape the prairie landscape by creating a mosaic of different grass lengths, which are then used by different bird species depending on their habitat requirements. Like bison, prairie dogs are a keystone species, meaning they have a unique, multi-faceted impact on the ecosystem that’s greater than their numbers alone. Their intensive grazing and burrowing on towns is its own “disturbance” that creates a distinct habitat type that attracts many bird species like Mountain Plovers, Horned Larks, Ferruginous Hawks, and more. 

While we understand which birds are associated with prairie dogs, we have much to learn about how prairie dogs affect nest success of birds, which in turn affects the size and structure of bird populations. My research will help fill the knowledge gap on this aspect of the Great Plains animal community by simultaneously studying food webs and behavioral interactions. Ultimately, I hope to inform how and to what extent prairie dogs are important for conserving grassland bird populations, which we need to know if we are to adequately protect those species and the Great Plains ecosystem itself. Check out this thread for more background.