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.

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

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