[BCNnet] Oops! Here's the article about Henslow's!
judymellin
judymellin@netzero.net
Sun, 30 Nov 2003 10:32:56 -0800
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This was published in the original issue if the Habitat Herald in =
November, 2000:
DISPELLED: ONE URBAN MYTH=20
Sure, I'd heard all the stories about the legendary Henslow's Sparrows: =
they are an endangered species in the state of Illinois; they have very =
specific habitat requirements, such as deep grass litter and a certain =
size grassland and they are more often heard than seen. I'd heard all =
the stories about the incredible sightings. But, hey, I've been =
monitoring a 600 acre natural areas restoration as the Bird Monitor for =
the Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards in Hoffman Estates since 1990. I've =
walked our grassland area hundreds of times in that period and I'd never =
seen one, never even heard one. You can imagine that I was a real =
believer that this species truly existed!
Well, all of that changed in June, 2000, when we were giving a tour for =
folks from the Field Museum of Natural History. I heard a very robust =
and insistent "tslick, tslick" but I discounted it. Then I saw a =
sparrow perched on a gray dogwood clone and decided that, since this is =
a bird of the open grasslands, it couldn't be THE H-BIRD. Duane Heaton =
of Prairie Woods Audubon was leading the tour with me and he convinced =
me it was a Grasshopper Sparrow. It didn't look like a Grasshopper and =
it didn't sound like a Grasshopper but I was busy with the folks on the =
tour so I kept on leading. Soon, though, Duane came to tell me that he =
had stayed behind to look more closely and it actually was the URBAN =
MYTH, feathers and all!
Since this was a life bird for me and the 175th species to be identified =
on our site, I decided to see what else was happening with this species. =
There had been a record number of sightings in Northeastern Illinois =
this season and there had to be a reason for this. Were more areas =
being monitored than before or were we just listening more? Was all the =
talk and concern about this species making us look more or were there =
truly more of them around?
Dr. Jim Herkert, listing coordinator for the Illinois Natural History =
Survey, had this to say: "My guess is that the boom in Henslow's =
sparrows in NE Illinois this year is the continuation of a regional =
population boom that started in southern Illinois in the mid 1990s. Its =
possible that changes in management at a few sites could also be =
influencing numbers but my guess is that the increase at most sites is =
due to an increase in the statewide population. The population in the =
state has been increasing quite a bit the last few years. We first =
noticed the increase in the far southern part of the state (roughly the =
southernmost 25 counties or so). The increase appears to be related to =
the maturation of a relatively large acreage of CRP in the region =
(several hundred thousand acres). The large increase in suitable =
habitat in the southern part of the state has apparently allowed this =
species to get a relatively secure foot hold in the state and possibly =
even get over some threshold of low numbers that may have been keeping =
populations down. Since we first noticed the population increase in the =
southern part of the state, we have seen it spread into other regions of =
the state, moving in a northward direction. On the heels of the =
increase in southern Illinois, populations in south-central Illinois =
began to climb, followed by north-central and now apparently northern =
Illinois.
The increase has been dramatic. Around 1994 we estimated that the =
statewide population was somewhere between 250-500 birds, with the =
population probably closer to the lower end of that range. We now =
believe there are likely several thousand birds in the state at this =
point, with numbers continuing to climb each of the last several years. =
All of this is of course very encouraging, but I still believe that the =
bird is somewhat vulnerable since much of the land that facilitated this =
increase is only tied up with relatively short (usually 10 year) =
set-aside contracts. And most indications are that, if CRP goes away =
due to a change in agricultural policy, so too will most of the grass =
that allowed the bird to increase in the first place."
Duane Heaton, Cook County Compiler for Spring bird count, contributed =
this information that confirms Jim's suspicions: There were 20 Henslow's =
Sparrows on the Cook County SBC this year, breaking the previous count =
high of 9 in=20
1983. Eight were at Paul Douglas Forest Preserve in northwest Cook =
County and 12 at Somme Prairie in the northern part of the county.
Jim concluded by saying, "So while I'm very happy to see the bird doing =
so well, I'm still a little uneasy about what the future may hold for =
this bird in the state." I believe, though, that now that this species =
had seen all the advantages of living in Northeastern Illinois, i.e., =
the great shopping, the proximity to Chicago and all the city has to =
offer plus the great restoration sites, it won't be leaving any time =
soon!
Judy Mellin
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<DIV>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">This was published in =
the=20
original issue if the Habitat Herald in November, 2000:</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">DISPELLED: ONE =
URBAN MYTH=20
</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Sure, I'd heard all =
the stories=20
about the legendary Henslow's Sparrows: they are an endangered species =
in the=20
state of Illinois; they have very specific habitat requirements, such as =
deep=20
grass litter and a certain size grassland and they are more often heard =
than=20
seen. I'd heard all the stories about the incredible =
sightings. But,=20
hey, I've been monitoring a 600 acre natural areas restoration as the =
Bird=20
Monitor for the Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards in Hoffman Estates since=20
1990. I've walked our grassland area hundreds of times in that =
period and=20
I'd never seen one, never even heard one. You can imagine that I =
was a=20
real believer that this species truly existed!</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Well, all of that =
changed in=20
June, 2000, when we were giving a tour for folks from the Field Museum =
of=20
Natural History. I heard a very robust and insistent "tslick, =
tslick" but=20
I discounted it. Then I saw a sparrow perched on a gray dogwood =
clone and=20
decided that, since this is a bird of the open grasslands, it couldn't =
be THE=20
H-BIRD. Duane Heaton of Prairie Woods Audubon was leading the tour =
with me=20
and he convinced me it was a Grasshopper Sparrow. It didn't look =
like a=20
Grasshopper and it didn't sound like a Grasshopper but I was busy with =
the folks=20
on the tour so I kept on leading. Soon, though, Duane came to tell =
me that=20
he had stayed behind to look more closely and it actually was the URBAN =
MYTH,=20
feathers and all!</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Since this was a life =
bird for me=20
and the 175th species to be identified on our site, I decided to see =
what else=20
was happening with this species. There had been a record number of =
sightings in Northeastern Illinois this season and there had to be a =
reason for=20
this. Were more areas being monitored than before or were we just=20
listening more? Was all the talk and concern about this species =
making us=20
look more or were there truly more of them around?</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Dr. Jim =
Herkert, listing=20
coordinator for the Illinois Natural History Survey, had this to say: =
"My guess=20
is that the boom in Henslow's sparrows in NE Illinois this year is the=20
continuation of a regional population boom that started in southern =
Illinois in=20
the mid 1990s. Its possible that changes in management at a few =
sites=20
could also be influencing numbers but my guess is that the increase at =
most=20
sites is due to an increase in the statewide population. The =
population in=20
the state has been increasing quite a bit the last few years. We =
first=20
noticed the increase in the far southern part of the state (roughly the=20
southernmost 25 counties or so). The increase appears to be =
related to the=20
maturation of a relatively large acreage of CRP in the region (several =
hundred=20
thousand acres). The large increase in suitable habitat in the =
southern=20
part of the state has apparently allowed this species to get a =
relatively secure=20
foot hold in the state and possibly even get over some threshold of low =
numbers=20
that may have been keeping populations down. Since we first =
noticed the=20
population increase in the southern part of the state, we have seen =
it=20
spread into other regions of the state, moving in a northward =
direction. =20
On the heels of the increase in southern Illinois, populations in =
south-central=20
Illinois began to climb, followed by north-central and now apparently =
northern=20
Illinois.</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The increase has been =
dramatic. Around 1994 we estimated that the statewide population =
was=20
somewhere between 250-500 birds, with the population probably closer to =
the=20
lower end of that range. We now believe there are likely several =
thousand=20
birds in the state at this point, with numbers continuing to climb each =
of the=20
last several years. All of this is of course very encouraging, but =
I still=20
believe that the bird is somewhat vulnerable since much of the land that =
facilitated this increase is only tied up with relatively short (usually =
10=20
year) set-aside contracts. And most indications are that, if CRP =
goes away=20
due to a change in agricultural policy, so too will most of the grass =
that=20
allowed the bird to increase in the first place."</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Duane Heaton, Cook =
County=20
Compiler for Spring bird count, contributed this information that =
confirms Jim's=20
suspicions: There were 20 Henslow's Sparrows on the Cook County SBC this =
year,=20
breaking the previous count high of 9 in <BR>1983. Eight were at =
Paul=20
Douglas Forest Preserve in northwest Cook County and 12 at Somme Prairie =
in the=20
northern part of the county.</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Jim concluded by =
saying, "So=20
while I'm very happy to see the bird doing so well, I'm still a little =
uneasy=20
about what the future may hold for this bird in the state." I =
believe,=20
though, that now that this species had seen all the advantages of living =
in=20
Northeastern Illinois, i.e., the great shopping, the proximity to =
Chicago and=20
all the city has to offer plus the great restoration sites, it won't be =
leaving=20
any time soon!</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Judy Mellin</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in =
0pt"> </P></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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