Large-scale Climate and Land Cover Influences on Blackbird Populations in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States and Canada

Blackbirds are ubiquitous members of the avian fauna in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States and Canada. Their abundance combined with their food habitats make blackbirds significant agricultural pests on sunflower. Cost estimates for blackbird damage to sunflower in the northern Great Plains range from 4-11 million dollars per year. Because of their economic impact on agriculture, it is imperative to understand the environmental factors that influence their abundance. This study attempts to quantify the effects of landscape-level climatic and land use patterns on blackbird population dynamics in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States and Canada