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Birds of the Konza Prairie

The Konza Prairie in Kansas hosts 208 recorded species of native birds. Konza Prairie is an 8,600-acre mecca of grass owned jointly by the Nature Conservancy and the Division of Biology at Kansas State University and is located in the middle of the Flint Hills. The most abundant of those bird species, which make their homes in the tall grasses of the plains and are sighted at high densities throughout much of the year, are the eastern meadowlark, mourning dove, brown thrasher and grasshopper sparrow.

Eastern Meadowlark
- Eastern meadowlarks are short-tailed birds with black, brown and white streaked backs and wings, bright yellow undercarriages featuring a prominent black "V" and a striped black-and-white crown with a black stripe extending backward around the eye.
  
  The eastern meadowlark is the most-frequently sighted bird on the Konza Prairie, with a habitat extending from central Quebec throughout the eastern United States west to Nebraska and south to the Amazon. Approximately 75 percent of the meadowlark's food is made up of insects and other invertebrates. The remainder of their diet is made up of seeds and berries.
Mourning Dove
- The mourning dove is the most abundant dove in the United States.
  
  The mourning dove is the most abundant dove in the United States and is also a popular game bird. Twelve inches long, the mourning dove is slim and gray-brown in color. Females have more brown plumage overall than males.
  
  The doves' habitat ranges across the United States and southern Canada, but they are most often throughout the Great Plains, in states such as Kansas, and throughout the Midwest. Transient flocks feed on the ground, primarily on waste grain and weed seeds.
Brown Thrasher
- The brown thrasher is prevalent in eastern North America, often secreting away in dense thickets and hedgerows. This species probes the ground for insects.
  
  The bird is similar in size to a robin, at approximately 12 inches long, but it is more slender with a much longer tail. The bird features a brown-streaked body and white undercarriage. Brown thrashers residing in the northern states migrate south to Texas in the winter, occasionally straying west to Arizona and California.
Grasshopper Sparrow
- The grasshopper sparrow makes its home in the open grasslands of the eastern United States and Great Plains, nesting and feeding mostly on the ground. The bird takes its name both from its insect diet and its insect-like song.
  
  The sparrow is small, with a large head and short tail. Its plumage is mostly brown with a white undercarriage and dark crown. The grasshopper sparrow is a ground feeder, locating prey by sight. The bird paralyzes a grasshopper by pinching its thorax.

Animals & Science