Open Grasslands: Birds

Mammals

Amphibians/Reptiles

Arthropods

Plants

Bryophytes/Lichen

Long-billed Curlew

Curlews build a scanty nest in a hollow on the ground in open, lightly grazed areas of shorter grass. Their brown colour and markings make them all but invisible among the grassland plants, but their long, curved bill is unmistakable. Their voice as they fly is easy to remember: "cur-lew, cur-lew, cur-lew".

Red-tailed Hawk

The Red-tailed Hawk can be seen flying high above the grasslands, searching for rodents such as the meadow vole. This large hawk has broad, rounded wings, a distinctive reddish tail, and a dark band across the belly. A large nest of sticks in an old tree near the forest edge is home for adults and two or three young.

Western Meadowlark

You'll often hear a meadowlark long before you spot it on a fence post or the top of a sagebrush plant. Look for the custard yellow stomach with a bright black "bib", and white stripes on the head. Nests are usually tucked under a large bunchgrass plant making them as hard to find as the singing bird.

Mountain Bluebird

The beautiful blue male birds and their greyer blue partners can often be seen in the grasslands sitting on a fence wire or post near nest boxes.

Here is a list of other representative species in open grasslands:

American Kestrel
Barn Owl
Bobolink
Common Nighthawk
Horned Lark
Killdeer
Northern Harrier
Poorwill
Savannah Sparrow
Say’s Phoebe
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Short-eared Owl
Upland Sandpiper
Vesper Sparrow
Western Kingbird
Red:
Ferruginous Hawk
Grasshopper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Prairie Falcon
Sage Thrasher
Sagebrush Brewer’s Sparrow
Swainson’s Hawk
Extirpated:
Burrowing Owl
Greater Sage-grouse

Photo:
Red Tailed Hawk-Copyright Ducks Unlimited Canada

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