Gourdneck State Game Area became established as the first urban State Game Area in 1941 in an effort to provide quality hunting habitat. Harbored near the city of Portage, this game area provides critical habitat for migrating birds, wild game, and threatened and endangered species.
The Henslow’s Sparrow is one of the species that rely on habitats like that of Gourdneck State Game Area. Preferred habitats include fields and meadows in damp areas with scattered shrubs, according to the Michigan Natural Features Inventory. Breaking up the barrier of dense invasive vegetation created by glossy buckthorn can create a habitat closer to natural origins while creating a landscape preferable to the species. Other management techniques to maintain the desired grassland habitat included burning, mowing, and grazing. Although not federally listed, this songbird is legally protected and considered endangered in Michigan.
Photo: Henslow's Sparrow courtesy of Jim Hudgins, US Fish and Wildlife Service.
