Prairie pothole wetlands, West Souris Mixed-grass Prairie Natural Area, Manitoba (Photo by NCC)
Located in the southwest corner of Manitoba, this area contains a band of grasslands, mixed with pothole wetlands, stretching west and south of the town of Melita to the U.S. border.
Habitat & species
This area is one of the last habitat strongholds in Manitoba for grassland birds such as:
- burrowing owl
- ferruginous hawk
- Baird’s sparrow
- Sprague’s pipit
- loggerhead shrike
The area supports other grassland species such as great plains toad and mule deer, and its wetlands provide important breeding and nesting habitat for northern pintail duck populations.
Threats
Temperate grasslands are the most converted and least protected habitat on Earth, with less than two percent effectively conserved.
Most grassland birds’ populations have declined significantly (an average decline of close to two percent per year since 1966) and this trend is attributed largely to loss of habitat.
