Rationales for Animal Species Considered for Species of Conservation Concern, Sequoia National Forest
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Rationales for Animal Species Considered for Species of Conservation Concern Sequoia National Forest Prepared by: Wildlife Biologists and Biologist Planner Regional Office, Sequoia National Forest and Washington Office Enterprise Program For: Sequoia National Forest June 2019 In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). 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Animal Rationales Species of Conservation Concern Contents Rationales for Animal Species Considered for Species of Conservation Concern Sequoia National Forest ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Species of Conservation Concern Compared to Forest Service Sensitive Species ................. 1 Procedure for Evaluation of Animal Species of Conservation Concern ................................. 2 Sequoia National Forest Species of Conservation Concern .................................................... 3 References ............................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 1 – Rationale for Animal Species Meeting Criteria for Species of Conservation Concern ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Birds ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Bald eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus ............................................................................... 5 California spotted owl - Strix occidentalis ....................................................................... 13 Great Gray Owl - Strix nebulosa ...................................................................................... 24 Kern red-winged blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus aciculatus ......................................... 36 Mount Pinos Sooty grouse - Dendragapus fuliginosus howardi ...................................... 39 Northern goshawk - Accipiter gentilis atricapillus .......................................................... 45 Tricolored blackbird - Agelaius tricolor ........................................................................... 62 Willow Flycatcher - Empidonax traillii (includes: Empidonax traillii brewsteri and Empidonax traillii adastus) .............................................................................................. 67 Mammals ............................................................................................................................... 75 Fringed myotis - Myotis thysanodes ................................................................................. 75 Sierra marten - Martes caurina sierrae ............................................................................ 80 Townsend's big-eared bat - Corynorhinus townsendii ..................................................... 94 Amphibians ........................................................................................................................... 99 Foothill yellow-legged frog - Rana boylii ........................................................................ 99 Fairview slender salamander - Batrachoseps bramei ..................................................... 104 Kern Canyon slender salamander - Batrachoseps simatus ............................................. 108 Kern Plateau salamander - Batrachoseps robustus ........................................................ 111 Relictual slender salamander - Batrachoseps relictus .................................................... 114 Yellow-blotched salamander - Ensatina eschscholtzii croceator ................................... 118 Fish ...................................................................................................................................... 122 California golden trout - Oncorhynchus mykiss aquabonita .......................................... 122 Central Valley hitch - Lavinia exilicauda exilicauda ..................................................... 127 Hardhead - Mylopharodon conocephalus ...................................................................... 131 Kern River Rainbow Trout - Oncorhynchus mykiss gilberti .......................................... 135 Terrestrial Invertebrates ....................................................................................................... 139 Behr's metalmark - Apodemia virgulti davenporti ......................................................... 139 Evius Blue - Plebejus icarioides evius (Boisduval) ....................................................... 142 Greenish blue - Plebejus saepiolus aehaja ..................................................................... 144 Tehachapi fritillary - Speyeria egleis tehachapina ......................................................... 147 Aquatic Invertebrates........................................................................................................... 151 Western pearlshell - Margaritifera falcata ..................................................................... 151 Chapter 2 – Rationale for Animal Species Not Meeting Criteria for Species of Conservation Concern ................................................................................................................................... 157 Birds .................................................................................................................................... 157 American peregrine falcon - Falco peregrinus anatum ................................................. 157 Black-backed woodpecker - Picoides arcticus ............................................................... 162 Black swift – Cypseloides niger ..................................................................................... 174 i Animal Rationales Species of Conservation Concern Calliope hummingbird - Selasphorus calliope ............................................................... 177 Cassin's finch - Carpodacus cassinii .............................................................................. 178 Flammulated owl - Otus flammeolus .............................................................................. 179 Lewis’s Woodpecker - Melanerpes lewis ....................................................................... 182 Olive-sided flycatcher - Contopus cooperi ..................................................................... 184 Osprey - Pandion haliaetus ............................................................................................ 188 Summer tanager - Piranga rubra ................................................................................... 189 Swainson’s hawk - Buteo swainsoni .............................................................................. 192 White-faced ibis - Plegadis chihi ................................................................................... 194 Williamson’s sapsucker - Sphyrapicus thyroideus ......................................................... 195 Yellow warbler - Setophaga petechia ............................................................................ 196 Mammals ............................................................................................................................. 200 American pika - Ochotona princeps, Ochotona princeps schisticeps ............................ 200 Fisher - Pekania pennanti ............................................................................................... 202 Pallid bat - Antrozous pallidus ......................................................................................