Avian Response to Mid-Contract Management of Conservation Reserve Program Fields (Survey‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Throughout the Midwestern U.S., surveys of grassland bird populations over the last 40 y indicate they have declined more rapidly than any other guild of birds, with declines ranging from 24 to 91% in Illinois, Minnesota, Wyoming, Nebraska and Missouri (Samson and Knopf, 1994; Sauer et al., 2008). These declines have been attributed mainly to the loss of prairie habitat. Samson and Knopf (1994) estimated that as little as 1% of native prairie habitat remains in the Midwestern U.S. Unfortunately, the prairie that remains often exists in small fragments that are usually improperly managed. Additionally, modern agricultural practices that favor reduced crop diversity and increased field sizes have also contributed to grassland bird declines (Best et al., 1998).