This report summarizes a study on grassland bird populations and vegetation at a reclaimed mine site called The Wilds in southeast Ohio. Point counts were conducted monthly from May to July 2014 to record bird abundances. Vegetation analysis also occurred. Results showed varying bird populations between study areas, potentially due to habitat differences. Henslow's sparrows increased over summer in one area but remained steady in another. Grasshopper sparrows were more abundant in one area. Red-winged blackbirds stayed consistent in one area but decreased over summer in another. Vegetation composition differed between areas as well. The data provides insight into how grassland birds use reclaimed mine lands and how vegetation impacts populations. Continued monitoring could help determine

1. A Look at Populations of Grassland Birds and Vegetation
Within the Reclaimed Mine Area The Wilds
Muskingum Fellowship Research Report
Allie Leggatt, Connor Hann, Jennifer Hastings, and Sarah Landuyt

2. Introduction
Due to habitat loss, grassland bird populations are in steep decline. For example, due
habitat encroachment, only 4 % of the original tall grass prairie land in the Midwest area (1994)
is left which in turn has been a major factor in the species’ decline. However, recently grassland
birds have utilized reclaimed mine areas for habitat and nesting.(Jaster et. al. 2014). Thus the
focus of this study is on grassland bird populations at a reclaimed surface mining area in
southeast Ohio known as The Wilds. The focus species observed and recorded were Henslow’s
Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii), Grasshopper Sparrows (A. Savannarum), Bobolinks
(Dolichonyx oryzivorus), Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna), and Savannah Sparrows
(Passerculus sandwhichensis). Data collection was conducted through a point count method
(discussed in methodology) over span of the three months of May, June, and July. More
extensive work was also conducted specifically on finding the rare, elusive Henslow’s sparrows’
territories, as Henslow’s are known to breed in restored grasslands (Jaster et. al. 2013). Along
with the data collection of population abundance of the focus birds, vegetation analysis was done
to have a further understanding of the birds preferred habitats and the condition of the reclaimed
grassland. This vegetation data collection focused on areas where our bird point counts were
conducted. This study’s data, results in a clear picture of the present abundance of grassland
birds and vegetation at The Wilds, but also is planned to be used in the future to hopefully
determine the rise or further decline of grassland birds in North America.
Methods
The bird point counts were conducted throughout the summer months of the 2014
breeding season at the Wilds, Ohio. In order to conduct the bird point counts, 40 points were

3. placed in the Southern Sector (International Road) and the Zion Ridge Sector (Zion Road) in
previous years to the 2014 breeding season. The points were marked with wooden stakes that had
flags taped to the top of the stakes as well as flags placed in the surrounding area. Ribbons were
also tied around the stakes making them easier to be located. In the Southern Sector, the stakes
were created by a computer mapping program and numbered 1 through 23. Each point was 200
meters away from the next point. In the Zion Ridge Sector, the points were placed alongside the
road 200 meters from each other. Each point had a number written on the stake and flags. Next,
the GPS coordinates were taken at each point. The point counts were conducted once a month in
May, June, and July. The study is a continuation of research done previous years and the
protocol for conducting a bird point count is a modified version of the Breeding Bird Survey
technique.
2014 Grassland Focus Area Point Count Survey Protocol: The objective of this study is to
complete avian surveys among grassland and shrubland habitat at the Wilds. The purpose of this
study is to sample bird populations for estimated densities of grassland dependent species;
determine longitudinal trends in populations for specific regions; assess habitat preferences; and
provide future recommendations for habitat management. Priority species at the Wilds included
bobolink, dickcissel, eastern meadowlark, field sparrow, grasshopper sparrow, Henslow’s
sparrow, northern harrier, northern bobwhite quail, prairie warbler, ring-necked pheasant,
savannah sparrow, short-eared owl, sedge wren, vesper sparrow, willow flycatcher, yellow-
breasted chat, and upland sandpiper. Other species that were not considered priority species were
observed at the Wilds. These species included indigo bunting, common yellowthroat, yellow
warbler, American goldfinch, song sparrow, European starling, northern flicker, American robin,

4. northern cardinal, red-winged blackbird, Baltimore oriole, orchard oriole, chipping sparrow,
house sparrow, house wren, Carolina wren, horned lark, killdeer, etc.
The point counts were conducted by doing a 6 minute count at each point. Once arriving
at the point the researchers waiting approximately 1 minute to let the surrounding birds settle
back after the disturbance the researchers may have caused by walking through the habitat to get
to the point. While waiting for the birds to settle, the data collector recorded the date, time,
temperature, wind speed, location and names of the researchers. After the minute was up the
survey began and the individuals identified all of the birds seen and/or heard within the 100
meter radius of the circle. The researchers recorded the direction of the bird and the distance it
was from the point by using a distance range finder device. If the sex of the bird could be
identified, it was also recorded on the sheet. Birds that were out of the circle’s radius were
marked as “out” to recognize that they were there, but could not be used in the data entry portion
of the research. If the bird flew over the circle but did not land in the circle, it was recorded in
the field as a “fly over” but excluded from the final data sheet. The species were identified on the
data sheet by codes that made it simple and time efficient to write what species were being
observed. If the individual only heard the bird, then the code was circled. The code was not
circled if the individuals only had visual contact or had auditory and visual contact of the bird.
During the month of June, a vegetation analysis was conducted. This was only done once
at each of the 40 points at the Wilds. Each point was known as the “home point”. From the home
point a 5 meter radius was created by setting flags at the North, South, East, and West directions.
At each of the directions a measurement of the litter, live vegetation and dead vegetation was
taken. Within the circle a percent was given to the litter, live vegetation, dead vegetation, woody
over a meter, woody under a meter, forbes, and grasses so that the individual percentages added

5. up to 100 percent. From the home point three more circles were conducted the same way. The
first circle was 30 meters at 240 degrees from the home point. The second circle was 60 meters
at 120 degrees and the third circle was 90 meters at 0 degrees. By adding three extra circles to
each home point, the researchers were able to get more data that represented a better depiction of
the surrounding habitat and what that habitats structure was.
Results
Average Number of Birds Counted Per Point at Zion Ridge
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
May June July
Averagenumberofbirdsateachpoint
Month of data collection
Henslow's
Sparrow
Grasshopper
Sparrow
Red-Winged
Blackbird

6. Average Number of Birds Counted Per Point at the Southern
Sector
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
May June July
Averagenumberofbirdsateachpoint
Month of Data Collection
Henslow's
Sparrow
Grasshopper
Sparrow
Red-winged
Blackbird
19.5
18.5
11.510.6
8.8
6.4
5.3
4.4
4.4
3.5
3.5
1.8
0.9 0.9
Average Percentage of Birds at Zion Ridge for May
Red-winged Blackbird
Grasshopper Sparrow
Henslow's Sparrow
Yellow Throat
Bobolink
Meadowlark
Willow Flycatcher
Yellow Warbler
Field Sparrow
Robin
Song Sparrow
Killdeer
Goldfinch
Eastern Towhee

7. 30.7
26.8
10.2
7.3
6.3
4.8
3.9
2
2
1.5 1
1 1 1
0.5
Average Percentage of Birds at the Southern
Sector for May Redwinged Blackbird
Bobolink
Meadowlark
Song Sparrow
Yellow Throat
Henslow's Sparrow
Willow Flycatcher
Yellow Warbler
Robin
Field Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrpw
Goldfinch
Killdeer
Woodcock
Catbird
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
NumberofHenlow'sSparrowsperpoint
Average vegetation Height (in centemeters)
Correlationbetween Henslow's Sparrow
and Vegetation
Series1
Linear (Series1)

8. 17.2
13.1 12.7
2.6
23
16.5
0
5
10
15
20
25
Fescue Blue Grass Brome
AveragePercentage
Vegetation Type
Average Percentage of Three Main Grasses
Surveyed
Zion Ridge
Southern Sector
17.2
13.1
12.7
11.7
9.6
8.9
8.3
6.3
4.6
3.3
2.2
1.1
1
Average Percentage of Vegetation at Zion Ridge
Fescue
Blue Grass
Brome
Bird's Foot
Yellow Sweet
Clover
Other Forbes
Litter
Lespedeza
Dead Vegetaion
Other Grasses
Bare Ground

9. Discussion
From the data collected, it was observed that there are varying concentrations of different
species per sector studied (Southern and Zion Ridge Rd.). The species focused on in this report
are the Henslow’s Sparrows, Grasshopper Sparrows, and Red-Winged Blackbirds. These varying
concentrations could possibly be attributed to a few factors; one being that some species are
“area-specific”, meaning these species prefer a more specific habitat than what The Wilds
generally consists of. Therefore, these birds are not as heavily prevalent as others unless the
research is being done near or within their preferred terrain. Terrain can differentiate primarily
through vegetation. Different abundances of plant species, depth of field litter, height of
vegetation, and the amount of dead and woody vegetation all contributes to the condition of an
area and therefore alters the species of birds inhabiting it.
23
19.6
18.3
16.5
7
5
3.1
2.6
1.9 1.2
1.2
0.4
0.2
Average Percentage of Vegetation at the
Southern Sector Blue Grass
Other Forbs
Bird's Foot
Brome
Litter
Other Grasses
Dead Vegetation
Fescue
Bare Ground

10. The abundance of the types of vegetation varied from the southern sector to Zion Ridge.
In the southern sector the most abundant type of vegetation was blue grass with an average
percentage of 23. At Zion Ridge the most abundant type of vegetation was fescue with an
average percentage of 17.2. Some other major vegetation differences between the two sectors
were with the percentages of other forbes and yellow sweet clover. In the southern sector, other
forbes was the second most common vegetation with an average percentage of 19.6. At Zion
Ridge other forbes only consisted of a 8.9 average percentage of the vegetation. At Zion Ridge
there was an average percentage of 9.6 yellow sweet clover whereas in the southern sector there
was only an average percentage of 0.2. Three main types of grasses- fescue, brome, and blue
grass- were observed during the vegetation analysis. In the Zion Ridge area the average
percentages of the grasses were fescue at 17.2, blue grass at 13.1 and brome at 12.7. These
results were quite different from the southern sector where blue grass had an average percentage
of 23, brome had an average percentage of 16.5, and fescue only had an average percentage of
2.6. This shows that there is a lack of fescue in the southern sector but an abundance of it at Zion
Ridge.
There are many potential reasons why there is a variance in vegetation between the
southern sector and the Zion Ridge area. There are two different types of vegetation, warm and
cold, at the two sections. Warm vegetation areas have been planted whereas cold vegetation
areas have been allowed to grow naturally. Both sectors have four warm section points so the
variance probably lies in what has grown naturally in both areas. A possibility is the two areas
may have begun to regrow at different times. Also, the points at Zion Ridge lie alongside a road
whereas the points in the southern sector are away from the road. Car exhaust and potential
differences in the soil could possibly cause differences in the vegetation makeup. Differences in

11. wind, weather, and animals may also have contributed to the spread or destruction of certain
vegetation types in the two areas. Although not much is known about why the differences occur,
it is clear to see that there are several differences in the average percentages between Zion Ridge
and the southern sector.
At the Zion Ridge Rd locations, on average there were 0.77 Henslow’s sparrows in May,
0.71 in June as well as July. For the Southern Sector, there were 0.39 Henslow’s sparrows in
May, 1.48 in June, and 1.65 in July. For the Zion Ridge locations, the number of Henslow’s
sparrows remained fairly consistent while the number of sparrows at the Southern Sector
dramatically increased as the summer continued. This may be attributed to the fact that
Henslow’s sparrows prefer larger grasslands (more characteristic of the Southern Sector), and
therefore breeding activity is expected to be greater there.
When observing Grasshopper sparrows, that there was a fair amount more of these birds
found at the Zion Ridge locations as opposed to the Southern Sector locations. In May, there
were 1.24 birds per point, 0.94 in June, and 0.59 in July for the Zion Ridge points. Contrary to
that, at the Southern Sector there were 0.087 birds per point in May, 0.043 in June, and 0.174 in
July. Numbers decreased at the Zion Ridge locations, but rose and fell at the Southern Sector
locations. This may be attributed to less breeding activity at the Zion Ridge Road sector.
After analyzing the data collected on the Red-Winged Blackbirds, it was noticed that at
the Zion Ridge section, numbers stayed very consistent at 1.29 birds per point for May, June, and
July. At the Southern Sector, numbers decreased, starting at 2.73 in May, 2.39 in June, and a
mere 0.609 in July. This could be due the different vegetation and terrain or the nesting success
differing between the two sectors.

12. Conclusion
This research has established that grassland bird populations have found The Wilds as
suitable grassland to inhabit, specifically for nesting; however the vegetation and month does
have effect on population abundance. Although this research has concluded, this data will be
compiled with previous research at The Wilds, including ones that have been conducted by the
Ohio Division of Wildlife. More data is needed to gather a strong correlation between grassland
birds and reclaimed grasslands along with a realistic estimate of grassland bird populations.
Another interesting aspect of reclaimed grasslands, including with The Wilds, is woody
vegetation encroachment and its effect on grassland bird breeding (Ingold et.al 2013). The
research clearly establishes that woody vegetation has an effect on bird populations; however as
more woody vegetation encroachment continues its long term effects should be observed. It is
important to always consider some error in research; however in future research some of this
error can be reduced. A longer “resting time” of 5 minutes, allowing the birds to settle back
down more, before conducting the point counts would give a more realistic idea of the
amount/type of birds in the area without human interference. The suggestion of doing line
transact data collection between points was also made in the month of July, however it was too
late in research to get conclusive data. The line transacts method would give a more accurate
overall population of birds, specifically Henslow’s sparrows, than the point count method which
might have concentrated populations. A better system could also be created to avoid counting the
same bird multiple times or counting in “fly –ins”. With these suggestions and reduction in errors
in future grassland bird research, more knowledge can be gained about grassland bird
populations.

14. References:
Ingold, D. J., & Dooley, J.L.(2013). Nesting Success of Grassland and Shrub-Nesting Birds on
the Wilds, an Ohio Reclaimed Surface Mine. Ohio Journal Of Science, 111(2-5) 37-41.
Jaster, L., Jenson, W., & Forbes, A. (n.d). Abundance, territory sizes, and pairing success of
male Henslow’s Sparrows in restored warm-and cool-season grasslands. Journal Of
Field Ornithology, 84(3), 234-241.
Jaster, L., Jensen, W. E.,& Forbes, A.R.(2014). Nest Survival of Grassland Birds in Warm-and-
Cool season Grassland Restorations. American Midland Naturalist, 171(2), 246-25.