The Newsletter of American Bird Conservancy Bird Calls FEBRUARY 2013 l Vol. 17, No. 1 Lesser Prairie-Chicken May Get Federal Protection he Lesser Prairie-Chicken, an iconic western bird have long been fearful that an ESA listing for this species that shares its shrinking habitat with everything could mean costly new land-use restrictions (Bird Calls, from cattle herds to wind farms, may soon be Vol. 15, No. 3). Environmental groups called the proposal Tadded to the list of plants and animals whose rangelands welcome but long overdue. are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. Best “The status of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken is a proxy for the known for its stomping, booming mating dances, these status of the stunning prairie lands that used to cover large 1-2 pound brown-barred game birds used to be abun- parts of this country,” said Steve Holmer, Senior Policy dant in the short-grass prairies found in Colorado, Texas, Advisor at ABC. “It’s our hope that this proposal will spur Oklahoma, Kansas, and New Mexico. Now more than 80 further conservation efforts to help both the species and percent of those grasslands are gone, the rest are highly the ecosystem recover. ” fragmented, and Lesser Prairie-Chicken counts have de- clined dramatically. This listing proposal has lent urgency to region-wide efforts to develop voluntary conservation plans that would ABC and other environmental groups have been argu- protect the Lesser Prairie-Chicken by connecting and ing for years that the Lesser Prairie-Chicken deserves a restoring crucial bits of western prairie grassland, and by spot on the Endangered Species List. In 1998, the U.S. finding ways to mitigate ongoing threats to the existence Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) ruled that such a listing of the species. Those ongoing threats include conversion of was “warranted but precluded” by the need to deal with grasslands to tilled agriculture, the rapid spread of invasive “higher priority” species of concern. That move put the grasses, habitat changes linked to oil drilling and mining Lesser Prairie-Chicken on what is commonly known as the activities, excessive grazing, and fire suppression. Fences, “Endangered Species Waiting List,” where some rare spe- power lines and wind turbines can also pose problems, cies have languished for decades. since this species will not nest near human structures. Now, as part of a settlement agreement linked to a list- FWS and other federal agencies are helping the affected ing lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, states develop these voluntary conservation plans; con- FWS has formally proposed to classify the Lesser Prairie- servation agreements are already in place in Texas, New Chicken as a Threatened species, a term applied to species Mexico, and Kansas, and another plan is being devel- found likely to be at risk of extinction in the foreseeable oped in Oklahoma. The Natural Resources Conservation future and thus in need of federal protection. Service is providing funding for some of these programs. The listing proposal was published in the December 11, It could be a year before FWS issues a final a ruling on the 2012 issue of the Federal Register, initiating a 90-day pub- listing plan. lic comment period. Comments should be plentiful, since oil companies, cattle ranchers, and wind power companies TOP: Lesser Prairie-Chicken: Eleanor Briccetti PAGE PAGE PAGE New Study Finds Outdoor Calls for Change at First Stresemann's Cats Kill “Staggering” Nation’s Deadliest Bristlefront Nest 5 Numbers of Birds 11 Wind Turbines 15 Discovered 2 l BIRD CALLS ABC’s Hawaiian Bird Film Wins International Prize ndangered Hawai'i, a video about the ongoing ex- Hawai'i the unfortunate nickname of “bird extinction capi- tinction crisis facing Hawai'i’s endemic birds, was tol of the world.” awarded the International Jury Prize at EKOFILM Wallace thanked the actor Richard Chamberlain for donat- E- International Film Festival on the Environment and ing his time and narration skills to the film. “He helped Natural and Cultural Heritage. The EKOFILM Festival give this video the sense of urgency that it deserves,” said has long been one of the leading environmentally-oriented Wallace. “I am sure that Richard is one of the main reasons festivals in the world, twice recognized as the top festival of why this video has been so well-received.” its kind. The festival was first held in 1974, and is hosted in the city of Ostrava in the Czech Republic. Chamberlain remarked that the video was “something that I had to be a part of,” adding that he has long thought of “We are thrilled to receive this award,” said George Wallace, Hawai'i as one of the world’s most treasured jewels.“I lived the senior writer and director of the film and Vice President there for many years, so I could relate to what was happening for Oceans and Islands at ABC. “We hope it will bring to its environment. The video was a wonderful opportunity more attention to Hawai'i’s stunning birds, the threats they to give back. I’m thrilled to have been able to contribute.” face, and the actions we can take now to save them.” ABC produced this film with funding from the National More than 70 species of bird have gone extinct since Fish and Wildlife Foundation. DVDs are available for Europeans first arrived on the Hawaiian Islands (Bird Calls, $9.95 plus shipping at www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/ Vol. 11, No. 3). Many more are serious decline, earning oceansandislands/hawaii/endangered_hawaii.html Palila Still Declining in Hawai'i wo recent studies by the U.S. Numerous factors impact Hawai'i’s Geological Survey and col- subalpine forest, but the two biggest laborators including ABC are extreme recent drought and nearly Thave found that populations of the 200 years of browsing by exotic graz- Palila, a highly endangered honey- ing animals. Drought reduces food creeper found only in subalpine forest availability, particularly māmane seeds on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i, have steeply (the primary Palila food), reducing declined over the last 10 years. The Palila breeding success and survival. Although Palila populations have declined over the past 10 study also found that other endemic Cattle, goats, and sheep have been years, conservation measures, including fencing the birds' Hawaiian birds sharing this habitat, most important habitats, are expected to help the species grazing on Mauna Kea since their rebound. Photo by Peter LaTourrette, birdphotography.com including the Hawai'i 'Elepaio, the introduction in early 1800s. These 'Apapane, and the 'I'iwi, have been species have destroyed and degraded cows from the majority of the Palila’s negatively affected. the native Hawaiian forests and sup- designated critical habitat within the The Palila population peaked in 2003 pressed regeneration, leading to long- state’s Mauna Kea Forest Reserve and at nearly 6,500 birds, but dropped to term decline of the Palila and other Ka'ohe Game Management Area. approximately 2,200 birds in 2012 bird species. Excessive grazing worsens In addition, a strategy to eradicate – a 66 percent decline. The species’ the effects of drought, as does compe- the grazing animals from within the range also continued to contract. It tition from invasive plants. fenced area is under development. The was detected in a block of less than fence could be completed within sev- 2013 will be a year of significant prog- six square miles of forest, despite sur- eral years, and implementation of por- ress for the conservation of the Palila. veys throughout the species’ nearly tions of the eradication strategy could The State of Hawai'i, with fund- 95 square miles of designated critical come even sooner. ing support from the U.S. Fish and habitat on Mauna Kea. In 2008, Palila Wildlife Service, is constructing a 52- were consistently found in a forested mile fence to exclude goats, sheep, and area more than four times larger. OPINION FEBRUARY 2013 l 3 Corporate Defiance Keeps Dangerous Rat Poisons On The Market he Red-tailed Hawk known kids. The Environmental Protection EPA gave the companies three years as Pale Male built a nest on Agency (EPA) ordered companies to to comply with the safety improve- the ledge of an exclusive Fifth take specific steps to improve safety. ments called for in its 2008 decision. TAvenue apartment building near New Those steps are hardly outlandish, and Most companies made the necessary York City’s Central Park in the early most manufacturers – as well as some adjustments. But the $37 billion 1990s. Soon he became a local celeb- national retailers – have been quick to company Reckitt Benckiser, maker of rity with his own Facebook page, web- conform. Yet Reckitt Benckiser, whose products ranging from Woolite and site, and YouTube video. brands fill the pantries and laundry Lysol to French’s Mustard, chose to rooms of homes throughout America, defy the EPA. They even signed up a But Pale Male’s story has been bit- chose to fight the EPA’s science-based former member of Congress to contact tersweet. Last year, the 22-year-old conclusions. They are carrying out Senators and Representatives urging hawk’s mate died after eating poisoned unprecedented stalling tactics while them to stall the cancellation process. rats. Pale Male found a new mate, but their d-CON rat poisons continue to The company continues to sell its their three chicks were exposed to rat cause gruesome deaths in hawks, owls d-CON poisons as loose pellets and poisons as well. One died, and the and other raptors, as well as in dogs pastes and to peddle the most toxic others needed life-saving treatments.