Sagebrush songbirds benefit from conifer removal

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The team, led by researcher Elise Zarri and supported by Working Lands for Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management, found that birds whose habitat needs aligned closely with Greater Sage-grouse—Sage Thrashers, Vesper Sparrows, and Brewer’s Sparrows—successfully raised more offspring in areas where encroaching conifers had been removed. The data demonstrated that even though sagebrush habitat management was undertaken on behalf of one particular species of conservation concern, other species in the area benefited—indicating that Greater Sage-grouse may serve as an “umbrella” species for conservation of other organisms within its ecosystem.