Birds of Prairie Ridge State Natural Area

A mostly brown and tan song birds perches on a stem of a plant with small yellow flowers. The bird is in mid song with its beak wide open.

Photo by Michael R. Jeffords

Film Date:

January 7, 2021

Speaker:

Bob Gillespie from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Produced by:

Laura Kammin

Kathy Andrews Wright

Edited by:

Sarah Marjanovic

Questions received in advance of the conversation are listed below, with the time noted should you desire to fast-forward to a topic of interest.

00:45 The grassland management practices utilized at Prairie Ridge State Natural Area benefit more than the Illinois-endangered greater prairie-chicken.

02:24 The Illinois-endangered short-eared owl is a winter visitor at Prairie Ridge State Natural Area.

05:21 Two other endangered bird species that can be found in the grasslands are the Henslow’s sparrow and northern harrier.

07:43 What other birds can be found on Prairie Ridge’s prairie wetlands?

10:57 What other birds can be commonly found at Prairie Ridge?

13:15 Tips for planning a visit to Prairie Ridge State Natural Area.

Follow Living with Wildlife on Facebook and Instagram.

For more information on Illinois wildlife:

  • wildlifeillinois.org
  • outdoor.wildlifeillinois.org
  • deer.wildlifeillinois.org
  • huntillinois.org

If you are interested in viewing the text alternative for the video click the CC option at the lower margin of the video.


Kathy Andrews Wright is retired from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources where she was editor of Outdoor Illinois magazine. She is currently the editor of Outdoor Illinois Wildlife Journal and Illinois Audubon magazine.


Kathy Andrews Wright retired from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources where she was editor of OutdoorIllinois magazine. She is currently the editor of OutdoorIllinois Journal.

Share this Article

Submit a question for the author



Explore Our Family of Websites

Similar Reads


Six brown bison graze on a prairie with pink flowers interspersed throughout.

Plant and Bird Responses to Bison Grazing at Nachusa Grasslands


A mostly brown and speckled white hawk perches on a tree branch and peers up at the leafy autumn canopy.

In Taxonomy, the Only Constant is Change


A brown waterfowl bird with brown feathers swims on a relatively calm waters.

The Pied-billed Grebe


A map holds up a very large fish while standing in front of a large fresh water lake. A bright blue sky is reflected in the waves of the lake in the background. Overlaying the image in the top right is a gray map of the state of Illinois with a star indicating Grundy County in the upper north corner of the state.

Dainty white flowers with five petals and little yellow centers are blossoming amongst new leaves on a bush in springtime.

Serviceberry: A native plant for all seasons


An adult male white-tailed deer is silhouetted against a bright orange sunset while walking across a fallow agricultural field.

Wildlife Research News


A gray, white shorebird with a black stripe on its forehead and on its collar stands on a sandy beach. The bird has bands around each leg identifying it for research purposes.

A bald eagle with white feathers on its head and black feathers on its body perches on a tree branch against a bright blue sky.

A gray and white bird with black on top of its head and under its chin perches on a tree branch.

A white, brown, and black hawk holds a fish in its talons while flying close to the surface of a a freshwater lake.