Grasslands are among the most threatened habitats in North America. Loss of or alteration of this habitat to many other land-uses has had harmful effects on grassland birds, mammals, and other wildlife species that are found here. The study referenced below has shown that grasslands have lost more than 700 million birds in the last half-century - a total decline of more than 40 percent.
The Western Meadowlark is still found in grasslands in the United States, Mexico and Canada. These distinctive and colorful birds are melodic singers. In their habitat, they nest on the ground, and feed themselves and their young on insects and seeds.This meadowlark species is still relatively common, but recent trends exhibit population declines.
Learn more about this iconic grassland bird:
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/western-meadowlark
This graph shows the trend for the population across its US range:
