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The Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri) has significantly declined throughout its breeding range in the last 25 years (Ashley and Stoval 2004). Despite being thought of by many as the most common bird in spring and summer in shrubsteppe habitat, the Brewer’s Sparrow has been given special conservation status in several western states, including Wyoming (Knick and Rotenberry 2000). Habitat fragmentation and other processes threaten Brewer’s Sparrow populations in several ways. In this report, shrubsteppe is defined as habitat with a “…codominance of sagebrush [Artemesia spp.] and native bunch grass and moderate shrub cover” (B. Walker, personal communication). This report reviews key published literature,...
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The Sage Sparrow (Amphispiza belli) is a common breeding bird in landscapes dominated by big sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) in western North America. The species prefers large, undisturbed tracts of tall and dense sagebrush. Such habitat is declining across large areas, and many sagebrush obligates such as the Sage Sparrow are showing corresponding declines in distribution and abundance. For example, in Washington over half the native shrubsteppe has been converted to agriculture in the last 150 years (Vander Haegen et al. 2000). In this report, shrubsteppe is defined as an environment with a “…co-dominance of sagebrush and native bunch grass and moderate shrub cover” (B. Walker, personal communication)....
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