This column is the last of three on grassland birds in Maine. In today's column, we will take a look at Upland Sandpipers and Eastern Meadowlarks, both of which require grasslands for nesting.

Like the American Woodcock, the Upland Sandpiper is a shorebird that has adopted a purely terrestrial lifestyle. Don't look for Upland Sandpipers foraging on intertidal mudflats with Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs and other members of the sandpiper family. Rather, Upland Sandpipers prefer rather dry habitats with a dearth of trees. Grasslands are their natural breeding areas although lowbush blueberry barrens can serve as nesting sites as well. Grassy areas at airports also provide nesting habitat.

An Upland Sandpiper is a large sandpiper with a long bill. Its neck is markedly thin and its head seems to be too small for its body. The plumage consists of black, brown and tan feathers that make the bird cryptic in the tall-grass habitats it prefers.

The call of the male is a sound that will stick with you. Many people will not recognize the eerie whistle of the male as coming from a bird. Efforts to represent the whistle in human syllables include "whooooleeeeee, wheeelooooo-ooooo." To some, the call sounds like a "wolf whistle."

The greatest abundance of nestling Upland Sandpipers is found in the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas. Populations can be found westward to the Rocky Mountains and eastward, occurring patchily in New England and some of the Mid-Atlantic States. These birds winter on the pampas and other grassland habitats in South America.

In most nesting areas, Upland Sandpipers have suffered at the hands of humans. First, early European settlers killed them for food as well as collected their eggs. Later, market hunters took even more. But the most devastating effect caused by humans was the plowing of the tall-grass prairies to plant crops. Breeding Bird Survey data show that numbers of Upland Sandpipers continue to decline over most of its breeding range, North Dakota being the only state where Uppies are holding their own.

The last species we will consider is the Eastern Meadowlark, a species associated with farmlands. Before European settlement, Eastern Meadowlarks were dependent on native grasslands for habitat. Unlike the Upland Sandpiper, meadowlarks have proven to be adaptable, readily nesting in pastures.

Eastern Meadowlarks are found broadly throughout eastern North America. Their northern limit occurs from Minnesota eastward through Ontario and into the Maritime Provinces. Meadowlarks can be found throughout the states south of this line. They even extend discontinuously throughout Central America.

In most of their range, Eastern Meadowlarks are non-migratory. The meadowlarks in New England and other northern states withdraw in late fall to warmer portions of the species' range. Meadowlarks usually return to Maine in late March to April.

Eastern Meadowlarks are distinctive birds. They have a bright yellow breast with a V-shaped black patch on the upper breast. The description of a yellow V-necked sweater is certainly apt. On the side of the face below the eye, a whitish stripe, the malar stripe, is distinctive. The Western Meadowlark, which overlaps with Eastern Meadowlark in some parts of their ranges, is almost a dead ringer for the Eastern. However, the malar stripe of the Western Meadowlark is mostly yellow.

The upper side of the Eastern Meadowlark is mottled gray, black and brown, allowing the bird to blend in well with its grassland habitat. The outer tail feathers are white, making these feathers a good field mark for a flying meadowlark.

Like other grassland birds, Eastern Meadowlarks will be detected first by their voice. The song of this species is a series of clear, slurred whistles. Some ornithologists have tried to capture the cadence of the song as "song of the earth."

Despite their use of agricultural fields for nesting, Eastern Meadowlarks are showing alarming declines throughout much of their range. Part of this stems from a reversion of old farms back to forests. Human encroachment to breeding areas also plays a role in the decline of these birds.

As an overview, we have seen that grassland birds are declining through much of their range. While we should be concerned, there is some reason for hope. In recent years, the science of landscape ecology has matured. Landscape ecologists study how variation in habitat at large scales affects the distribution of organisms. Landscape ecologists understand the importance of interconnected reserves, of conserving habitat near already protected habitat and of evaluating the conservation potential of available tracts of land. Active management of grasslands will need to be continued to prevent forests from taking over.

Herb Wilson teaches ornithology and other biology courses at Colby College. He welcomes reader comments and questions at whwilson@colby.edu Previous columns and other information on Maine birding can be found at his blog: http://www.mainebirds.blogspot.com/