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Prairie Wildlife
Prairie ecosystems provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife species, including many of Indiana’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need (species listed as Endangered, Threatened, or of Special Concern by the state). Amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds use prairie sites to forage, hunt, and nest. The following is a non-exhaustive, representative list of wildlife species that utilize these habitats in Tippecanoe County.
Indiana State Status Key
SE = state endangered
ST = state threatened
SR = state rare
SSC = state species of special concern
SG = state significant
Birds
- Henslow’s sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) (SE)
- Sandhill crane (Antigione canadensis) (SSC)
- Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) (SE)
- Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) (SSC)
- Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) (SE)
- American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) (SE)
- Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) (SSC)
- Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis) (SE)
- Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) (SSC)
- Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) (SE)
- Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) (SSC)
- Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius hudovicianus) (SE)
- Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) (SSC)
- Dickcissel (Spiza americana)
- Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
- Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
- American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
- Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
- Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)
- Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
- Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
- Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
- Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
- Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
- Mourning Dove (Zanaida macroura)
- Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
- American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
- Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
- Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
- Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
- White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
- Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
Mammals
- Plains Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursarius) (SSC)
- Least Weasel (Mustala nivalis) (SSC)
- Franklin’s Ground Squirrel (Poliocitellus franklinii) (SE)
- Badger (Taxidea taxus) (SSC)
- Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus)
- Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
- Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
- White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
- Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus)
- Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda)
- Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
- Coyote (Canis latrans)
- American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
- Groundhog (Marmota monax)
Amphibians
- Plains leopard frog (Lithobates blairi) (SE)
- American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)
- Blanchard’s Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi)
- Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)
- Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)
- Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
- Southern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea cirrigera)
Reptiles
- Spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) (SE)
- Kirtland’s snake (Clonophis kirtlandii) (SE)
- Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) (SE)
- Smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis) (SE)
- Eastern massasauga (Sistrusus catenipher) (SE, Federally Threatened)
- Plains box turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata) (SE)
- Dekay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi)
- Eastern Foxsnake (Pantherophis vulpinus)
- Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
Benefits of Planting a Prairie
Erosion Control
Aesthetics & Education
Erosion Control
Deep prairie root systems hold soil in place and help prevent erosion caused by wind and water. Many prairie plants develop roots several feet deep, which improve soil structure and stabilize slopes, streambanks, and open ground.
Wildlife Habitat
Aesthetics & Education
Erosion Control
Prairies provide food, cover, and nesting sites for a wide variety of wildlife, including birds, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Pollinators especially benefit from prairie habitats as they provide nectar, pollen, and host plants to support multiple stages of growth.
Water Quality
Aesthetics & Education
Aesthetics & Education
Prairies help improve water quality by slowing runoff and increasing water infiltration into the soil. This reduces sediment, fertilizer, and pollutant movement into streams, ponds, and groundwater.
Aesthetics & Education
Aesthetics & Education
Aesthetics & Education
Prairies provide seasonal color, texture, and visual interest throughout the year. They also create opportunities for education about native ecosystems, conservation, pollinators, and local biodiversity.
Managing prairies
While prairies require less water usage and long-term maintenance than turf grass, it is important to perform regular management (especially in the first few years of establishment). By removing invasive species and creating periodic disturbances, you will help maintain the health and biodiversity of your prairie.
Invasive Species
Invasive species readily establish in disturbed landscapes, like newly established prairies. Familiarize yourself with the growth stages of common invasive species like Bradford pear, white mulberry, Canada thistle, autumn olive, and Amur honeysuckle.
Controlled Burns
Prescribed burning is one of the most effective long-term prairie management tools because it helps prevent woody vegetation from becoming established and promotes native prairie plants. Once vegetation is well established, burns are typically conducted as a rotational disturbance every 2 to 3 years, with only one-half to one-third of the total area burned in a given year to maintain habitat diversity. Before conducting a burn, landowners should obtain a burn plan from a qualified professional, and burns are best carried out by trained prescribed fire personnel.
Periodic Mowing
Mowing can be an effective management tool, particularly during establishment or when fire is not practical. Occasional mowing helps suppress woody growth, however, mowing too frequently can favor grasses over forbs (wildflowers) and reduce plant diversity. Timing is important to reduce impacts on wildlife. In Indiana, the nesting season of grassland birds generally lasts from April 1 through August 1, so mowing should be delayed until after August 1 whenever possible. After this, to provide winter cover and food resources for wildlife, it is best to complete mowing prior to October 1 to allow vegetation to regrow.