Henslow's Sparrow habitat associations on Kansas tallgrass prairie

We examined macro- and microhabitat characteristics of breeding Henslow's S parrows (Ammodramus henslowii) on Fort Riley Military Reservation, Kansas d uring 1995 and 1996. Survey points were identified at the microhabitat scal e as either grassland, savanna, or woodland edge. A military disturbance in dex was used to quantify the severity of training disturbance to the vegeta tion at survey and bird use sites. At the large scale, Henslow's Sparrows w ere associated with grassland habitat last burned in 1993, two or three yea rs previously. Microhabitat at Henslow's Sparrow use sites had lower tree d ensity than random survey points, but neither shrub density nor military di sturbance index differed between use sites and survey points during spring. In summer, the military track index was higher on Henslow's Sparrow's use sites. Habitat used by Henslow's Spar rows was consistently tall and dense vegetation with high litter cover during early spring, late spring, and sum mer whereas the vegetation of random survey points changed in response to v egetation growth. Characteristics of Henslow's Sparrow use sites included h igh cover by litter and dense, structurally homogeneous vegetation, whereas litter depth and standing dead vegetation, physiognomic diversity, and mil itary disturbance did not differ from random survey points.