Comparison of Grassland Bird Stopover and Breeding Habitat Preferences in Illinois
Grassland birds are declining at an alarming rate, and there has been little research on the stopover activity and habitat needs of migratory grassland species. Considering heightened mortality risk during migration, uncovering what attributes comprise good stopover habitat is necessary to best conserve these species. My thesis research is focused on the habitat preferences of grassland birds listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in Illinois, especially during spring and fall migration. The singular habitat variables that had the most significant impact on grassland bird occupancy at any given site were the size of the grassland and the vegetation density. However, the most significant variable differed between species, season, and the type of model (multi-scale occupancy or logistic regression) that was used.
