Nesting preferences for short grass stubble have limited the nesting success of Northern Pintails in recent years leading to a significant population decline. For centuries these birds evolved to nest in short prairie grass, a habitat closely mimicked by today’s wheat and barley fields in the PPR. Unfortunately, these fields are being cultivated as the birds are nesting resulting in a very low nest success rate.

Historically, farmers were forced to leave fields fallow every few years, but due to agricultural intensification, this practice has diminished since it is no longer necessary. With the use of better fertilizers, less agricultural land is left fallow, resulting in almost all pintail nests being destroyed before the eggs can hatch. The nesting period of pintails unfortunately coincides with the farmers’ harvest and planting times, creating an environmental trap that adversely affects the birds.

However, with programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), many farmers have been able to successfully restore their fields to native grasslands, offering hope for an increase in pintail populations in the future.