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Kellerton Grasslands ___American Tree Sparrow Field Checklist for Kellerton Grasslands BCA ___Carolina Wren ___Chipping Sparrow* * = confirmed or likely area breeder ___House Wren* ___Field Sparrow* THE BOOMING Iowa Wildlife Action Plan Migratory Species of Greatest ___Sedge Wren* ___Vesper Sparrow* Conservation Need Iowa Wildlife Action Plan Nesting Species of Greatest Con- ___Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* ___Lark Sparrow* SOUNDS OF IOWA ___Savannah Sparrow* servation Need ___Ruby-crowned Kinglet ___Grasshopper Sparrow* ___Eastern Bluebird* ___Henslow's Sparrow* ___Greater White-fronted Goose ___Eurasian Collared-Dove* ___Gray-cheeked Thrush ___Le Conte’s Sparrow ___Snow Goose ___Mourning Dove* A History of the ___Swainson’s Thrush ___Fox Sparrow ___Cackling Goose ___Yellow-billed Cuckoo* ___Wood Thrush* ___Song Sparrow* ___Canada Goose* ___Black-billed Cuckoo* ___American Robin* ___Swamp Sparrow Greater Prairie-Chicken ___Trumpeter Swan ___White-throated Sparrow ___Wood Duck* ___Barn Owl* ___Gray Catbird* ___Harris’s Sparrow ___Gadwall ___Northern Mockingbird* (Tympanuchus cupido) ___Eastern Screech-Owl* ___White-crowned Sparrow ___American Wigeon ___Brown Thrasher* ___Great Horned Owl* ___Dark-eyed Junco ___Mallard* ___Barred Owl* ___European Starling* in Iowa ___Blue-winged Teal* ___Summer Tanager* ___Long-eared Owl ___Northern Shoveler ___Scarlet Tanager* ___Short-eared Owl* ___Cedar Waxwing* ___Northern Pintail ___Northern Cardinal* ___Northern Saw-whet Owl ___Ovenbird* — AND — ___Green-winged Teal ___Rose-breasted Grosbeak* ___Redhead ___Common Nighthawk* ___Louisiana Waterthrush ___Blue Grosbeak ___Blue-winged Warbler The public viewing platform is located two miles west of ___Ring-Necked Duck ___Eastern Whip-poor-will* ___Indigo Bunting* th ___Lesser Scaup ___Black-and-white Warbler* ___Dickcissel* Kellerton on Hwy 2 and one mile south on 300 Ave. the Kellerton Grasslands Bird ___Chimney Swift* ___Tennessee Warbler ___Bufflehead ___Bobolink* This is the only all-weather access. ___Ruby-throated Hummingbird* ___Kentucky Warbler ___Hooded Merganser* ___Red-winged Blackbird* ___Common Merganser ___Common Yellowthroat* Conservation Area ___Belted Kingfisher* ___Hooded Warbler ___Eastern Meadowlark* ___Ruddy Duck ___Western Meadowlark* ___Red-headed Woodpecker* ___American Redstart* ___Northern Bobwhite* ___Common Grackle* ___Red-bellied Woodpecker* ___Northern Parula* ___Gray Partridge ___Brown-headed Cowbird* ___Downy Woodpecker* ___Yellow Warbler* ___Ring-necked Pheasant* ___Orchard Oriole* ___Hairy Woodpecker* ___Chestnut-sided Warbler ___Greater Prairie-Chicken* ___Yellow-rumped Warbler ___Baltimore Oriole* ___Northern Flicker* ___Wild Turkey* ___Yellow-throated Warbler ___Pileated Woodpecker* ___Purple Finch ___Yellow-breasted Chat* ___Pied-billed Grebe* ___House Finch* ___American Kestrel* ___Spotted Towhee ___American Goldfinch* ___Double-crested Cormorant ___Merlin ___Eastern Towhee* ___House Sparrow* ___American Bittern ___Eastern Wood-Pewee* ___Great Blue Heron* ___Alder Flycatcher ___Great Egret ___Willow Flycatcher* The Kellerton Grasslands Bird Conservation Area was ___Green Heron* ___Least Flycatcher made possible due to a partnership between the Ringgold ___Turkey Vulture* ___Eastern Phoebe* County Conservation Board, The Nature Conservancy, ___Great Crested Flycatcher* ___Osprey ___Eastern Kingbird* the Natural Resouces Conservation Service, the Iowa Short-eared Owl ___Bald Eagle Photo by Tarique Sani ___Northern Harrier* ___Loggerhead Shrike* Natural Heritage Foundation, Iowa Audubon, and the Male Greater Prairie-Chicken booming on lek ___Sharp-shinned Hawk ___White-eyed Vireo* Department of Natural Resources. Lowell Washburn ___Cooper’s Hawk* ___Bell's Vireo* ___Swainson’s Hawk ___Yellow-throated Vireo* ___Red-tailed Hawk* ___Blue-headed Vireo Iowa Department of Natural Resources ___Rough-legged Hawk ___Warbling Vireo* 1436 255th St., Boone, IA 50036 ___Sora ___Red-eyed Vireo* Phone: (515) 432-2823; Fax: (515) 432-2835 ___American Coot ___Blue Jay* ___Killdeer* ___American Crow* Federal and State law prohibits employment and/or public ac- ___Spotted Sandpiper ___Horned Lark* commodation (such as access to services or physical facilities) ___Solitary Sandpiper ___Purple Martin* discrimination on the basis of age, color, creed, disability (mental ___Greater Yellowlegs ___Tree Swallow* and/or physical), gender identity, national origin, pregnancy, ___Lesser Yellowlegs ___Northern Rough-winged Swallow* race, religion, sex or sexual orientation. If you believe you have ___Upland Sandpiper* ___Bank Swallow* Early spring is the best time to come listen to the booming and been discriminated against in any program, activity or facility as For more information contact: ___Semipalmated Sandpiper ___Cliff Swallow* view prairie-chickens while they are displaying. The peak described above, or if you desire further information, contact the Iowa DNR ___Least Sandpiper ___Barn Swallow* Iowa Civil Rights Commission at 1-800-457-4416, or write to: booming time is from late March through mid-April. There is a 2991 State Highway 2 ___Pectoral Sandpiper ___Black-capped Chickadee* commercial spotting scope available for public use at this time. Director, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Wallace State ___Wilson’s Snipe Kellerton, IA 50133 ___Tufted Titmouse* There is also a very good possibility of seeing other prairie wild- Office Building, 502 E. 9th, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034. ___American Woodcock* 641-464-2220 (Biologist) ___Ring-billed Gull ___White-breasted Nuthatch* life, so you may want to bring your binoculars, spotting scope and a camera as well, to take full advantage of your trip. 641-783-2166 (Unit) ___Rock Pigeon* ___Brown Creeper Revised by Jenni Dyar, 2010, Natalie Randall, 2012 & Julia Dale, AmeriCorps, 2014 Kellerton Grasslands Bird The Greater Prairie-Chicken Prairie Chicken Habitat Conservation Area (Tympanuchus cupido) Booming Grounds The Kellerton Grasslands Bird Conservation Area (BCA) Greater Prairie-Chickens were once Iowa’s most was created in 1999 in a joint effort by the Iowa DNR, abundant game bird. They were a very important food “Walk through, See out, and Hide in” Pheasants Forever and Partners in Flight. The goal of source for both Native Americans and early settlers. Prairie chickens prefer a diverse habitat of native grasses this project is to provide a publicly owned, high quality Prairie chicken numbers began to decline in the late and forbs (wildflowers), which vary in height and core grassland area which is surrounded by privately 1800’s because of market hunting and habitat loss. The density. The birds look for wide open spaces with few owned and managed grasslands. As of 2014, about 4,300 Iowa legislature restricted hunting in 1878 and closed the trees. The male chicken attracts females by booming and acres of public land exist in this BCA, and most of this is season in 1915. However, because of the continued displaying in the spring time. This is done on booming being restored to tallgrass prairie. The area also has a conversion of tallgrass prairie to row crops the prairie grounds (leks), which are elevated areas of bare ground handicapped accessible viewing platform from which to chicken was extirpated from Iowa in the 1950’s. The last observe prairie chickens. It is possible to see chickens on known nesting sites were located in Appanoose, Wayne, a nice morning from October through May. The best and Ringgold counties. The last verified nesting occurred Roger Hill time to view them, however, is within an hour of sunrise in 1952 in Appanoose County. or sunset during their mating season from late March to early May. A commercial spotting scope is available at The booming grounds (leks) are where male prairie the viewing platform during this time in order to allow a In the early 1980’s the Iowa Department of Natural chickens gather to establish dominance and display to closer look without disturbing the birds. Resources (DNR) made an unsuccessful attempt to reintroduce prairie chickens to the Loess Hills by attract females. The males display by raising the pinnae releasing one hundred birds near Onawa in Monona feathers on their head, spreading their fan-like tails, drooping their wings, stomping their feet, and inflating County. A second attempt was made in 1987 with the Roger Hill release site being changed to the Ringgold Wildlife Area the air sacs on their necks. While doing these displays the males also create a booming sound that can be heard located near the Missouri border in south central Iowa. Management This area was one of the last to have prairie chickens in from up to a mile away. Iowa and was thought to have some of the best potential habitat for a successful reintroduction. From 1987-89, Since little of the original prairie landscape remains in Males display on leks where their visibility to females is 247 birds were released. Another 295 birds were Iowa, the Kellerton BCA land is being converted back maximized. This visibility can come at a cost— so it is trapped and released in Ringgold and Adair counties to the diverse grassland habitat that the prairie chickens essential for their survival to be able to see approaching from 1992-94. These stockings have proven successful prefer. Some of the management practices include: predators while displaying for potential mates. and Iowa once again has a naturally reproducing prairie planting natives, tree removal, burning, and light chicken population. farming. Native grasses and forbs are being planted to return prairie to the Male prairie chickens fighting area. These grasslands Pat Gaines This first in the nation grassland bird conservation area are being managed with not only boasts the largest prairie chicken booming fire, as well as with light ground in Iowa but is home for many other grassland grazing and mowing to bird species as well. create height diversity Some species of note that the chickens prefer. observed here are the Planting crops also Northern Harrier, provides the birds a Henslow’s Sparrow, winter food source and Upland Sandpiper and helps prepare the ground Short-Eared Owl. Doug Harr Young prairie-chicken for native grass and forb Bruce Sprague planting. .
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