Bird Ecosystem -- Grasslands

From the edge of the eastern deciduous forest to the slopes of the Rockies, grasslands (also called prairies) dominate the landscape through the center of our continent from coastal Texas to the central provinces of Canada. Inadequate rain prevents the expansion of the eastern deciduous forest, but grasses thrive. Big and little bluestems and bluegrama grasses dominate the vegetation. We sometimes divide the grasslands into several ecosystems on the basis of grass species. The prairie ecosystem has been gradually disappearing due to the expansion of agriculture. Characteristic birds of the grassland ecosystem include Prairie Falcons, Greater Prairie-Chickens, Upland Sandpipers, Short-eared Owls, Lark Buntings, and Grasshopper Sparrows. The tall-grass prairie shown here forms he eastern portion of the Grassland Ecosystem. In the higher, wore arid regions to the west, there is a transition from a mixed to a short-grass prairie.