Several sagebrush steppe-obligate songbirds are declining range-wide (according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey) and are listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the Wyoming Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS), including the Brewer's sparrow (Spizella breweri), sage sparrow (Amphispiza belli) and sage thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus). Population declines have primarily been attributed to habitat alteration and loss on breeding grounds.
One land use that has become particularly prevalent in Wyoming is the development of sagebrush steppe for energy extraction including oil and natural gas. The use and alteration of sagebrush habitats for energy development and extraction has largely unknown consequences for wildlife populations, though such disturbances have the potential to disrupt nesting, alter habitat selection, increase physiological stress, and reduce survival and reproduction. Research examining the potential impacts of different types and stages of energy development in Wyoming on sagebrush songbird breeding communities is therefore critically needed.