This article was published in the May 2001 issue of West Virginia Farm Bureau News . Warm season grasses are not only good insurance against drought and autumn forage shortages but they also are excellent for wildlife. Songbirds such as bobolinks, meadowlarks, and several types of sparrows build their nests on the ground, raise their young, and feed exclusively within grasslands.
Fields provide food and shelter for migrating warblers, thrushes, sparrows and larks in autumn.
Many hawks and owls, such as kestrels and barn owl search grasslands for food during winter months. Native warm season grasses such as switchgrass, Indiangrass, and big bluestem grow in clumps. Open areas between clumps permit young birds to move freely as they search for insects and seeds. The clumps also allow nests to be built under the tufts of leaves. This lets adult birds come and go easily without delay or detection by enemies that search for the nests.