Grassland birds are disappearing even from areas designed to protect them

by Robin Smith, Michigan State University
August 25, 2026

Even in protected areas, birds are disappearing from America’s prairies, and unpredictable weather isn’t helping.

That’s the takeaway from a new study by researchers at Michigan State University, Oklahoma State University, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The study, published in the journal Ecological Applications, analyzed 16 years of bird survey data at 40 tallgrass prairie sites in western Minnesota.

The sites were all protected areas — a mix of state parks, wildlife management areas, and private conservation easements.

Researchers returned to the same spots again and again between 2008 and 2023, watching and listening for what bird species showed up during the summer breeding season.

The results suggest that bird nesting season in the Minnesota prairie isn’t quite what it used to be.

Keep reading: https://eeb.msu.edu/news/grassland-birds-are-disappearing-even-from-areas-designed-to-protect-them.aspx

Read the Ecological Applications paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.70298