Bobolinks, Dickcissels, Grasshopper Sparrows, and other feathered songsters signal summer’s approach when they arrive on the Great Plains from their wintering grounds in Central and South America. Now, starting early each morning at the Crane Trust, we hear their uplifted voices ringing through the prairie. But there are far fewer of them now than there were a generation ago. Global population trend data show that over the past 45 years, Grasshopper Sparrows have declined by 68% and Bobolinks by 60%, both alarming trends. While Dickcissels have not fared as poorly, their populations have declined by 14%. These and other…
