Thick-Billed Parrots

By Andrew Kessler

ECOLOGY

The thick-billed parrot is an average sized parrot that has both green and red coloration.  Since this is a medium-sized parrot, it has been categorized in numerous bird groups such as macaw and conure.  The thick-billed parrot is under the genus Rhynchopsitta, which only contains two species, the other species being the maroon-fronted parrot.    A thick-billed parrot’s diet consists of mostly pine seeds and acorns, although they also consume some juniper berries, agave nectar, insect larvae and conifer buds.  These thick-billed parrots are known to be very social because they live in large groups and can handle cold climates.  Thick-billed parrots also tend to fly in V formations when flying long distances.  These parrots mate during the beginning of summer and their eggs are hatched between July and August.  Just like most birds, the parents must provide food and shelter for newborns after they are hatched. 

                                         Thick-billed parrot

                  http://bib.ge/img_animal/23429246tmehnqwervfdcx.jpg

GEOGRAPHY

 It is now only found in Mexico, although it once also occupied areas in the southwestern United States. The thick-billed parrot usually lives in temperate forests at high elevation.  The first records of thick-billed parrots in 1941 identified them to have populated northern Mexico.  They also lived in New Mexico and Arizona up until the 1990s, when they solely occupied northern Mexico.  

                                         Map of thick-billed parrot ranges

                   https://www.defenders.org/sites/default/files/thick-billed-parrot-range-map.jpg

POPULATION

The population of thick-billed parrots, which has always been somewhat small, is currently endangered and declining due to habitat destruction.  Their total population was estimated around 4,000 in the early 2000s, although recent surveys have showed the population to be around 2,800. 

LISTING

Thick-billed parrots were listed as endangered on June 2^nd, 1970 in the Southwestern United States, and they eventually became extinct in this area.  Even though they became extinct in the United States and have been declining in Mexico for many years, no official recovery plan was made until 2009.

THREATS

The major threat to thick-billed parrots is habitat destruction for logging.  Thick-billed parrots rely on conifer forests in the Sierra Madre Occidental.  Since the thick-billed parrot’s primary source of food is pine seeds, it needs the pine trees in these conifer forests.  The conifer forests in Mexico are decreasing fairly rapidly, which is causing a rapid loss of food for thick-billed parrots.  There are two minor threats that contribute to the population decline of thick-billed parrots.  The two threats are an abundance of wildfires that also destroy the conifer forests and the parrots being captured for the illegal pet trade.  Unless changes occur to the destruction of forests in Mexico, the thick-billed parrots could easily become extinct. 

                                         Deforestation in Mexico   

                  http://www.ecology.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/deforestation-mexico-524.jpg

RECOVERY PLAN

The recovery plan created to protect and restore the populations of thick-billed parrots has five important goals:

1.      Protect existing populations and their habitats

2.      Survey, monitor, and research the population and habitat

3.      Manage habitat for future thick-billed parrot population growth

4.      Reduce or eliminate threats, such as illegal pet trade, timber harvesting, and high intensity fire

5.      Build partnerships and educate the public

With an estimated total cost of recovery at around $6,000, this recovery plan seems very well organized and thought through   The ultimate goal of this recovery plan is to move thick-billed parrots from the endangered list to just the threatened list.  The most important step is probably the education of the public, because the public can provide so much additional benefits.  The public can help provide donations, get involved in the prevention of deforestation, and spread awareness of the recovery efforts for thick-billed parrots.         

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

 There are many ways for everyone to help out thick-billed parrots.  This website, http://www.defenders.org/thick-billed-parrot/what-you-can-do, shows the many steps one could take to support thick-billed parrots.  Some of the efforts could include donating, speaking to others about issues facing these parrots and sending messages to government leaders. 

Works Cited

Lamberski, Nadine, and Susan Healy. "The Thick-billed Parrot (Rhynchopsitta Pachyrhyncha)."

Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery 16.1 (2002): 50-52. Web.

N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=1584>.

N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.defenders.org/thick-billed-parrot/basic-facts>.

N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html>.

Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep

By Cory Kasbergen

Source(https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com)

The Sierra Nevada Bighorn sheep is in big trouble. These majestic animals are listed as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. They were listed as federally endangered on January 3, 2000 although there were emergency listed in 1999. (US Fish and Wildlife) Their ecosystem is being destroyed around them causing the Bighorn Sheep to decline drastically. This combined with a few other threats makes life difficult for these large animals. Luckily this animal has a recovery plan that will hopefully bring them away from the brink of extinction.

Source (granitechief.com)

Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep as their name suggests live in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. It is a completely different sub-species to the other Desert Bighorn Sheep. These sheep live on the steep rocky slopes of the mountains to stay away from predators. However, Bighorn Sheep must go down to the meadows of the Sierra Nevada to eat grass. The meadow has to be near an escape route that allows the Bighorn Sheep to out climb their predator. The main predator to Bighorn Sheep are mountain lions which usually only are a threat to the young and diseased. Sierra Nevada Bighorn sheep are about three foot tall at the shoulders and the females usually weigh 140lb while the males weigh about 220lb. They are a K-selected species having only one lamb per year. This contributes to their listing because they have a hard time replacing individuals that are lost.

The Sierra Nevada Bighorn sheep are currently endangered from a few different factors that manage to decimate the population. The first die off occurred during the gold rush era of California. The miners would kill the bighorn sheep for a hearty meal. The largest factor to their endangerment are disease carrying sheep. One nose to nose contact is enough to spread deadly disease that easily kill bighorn sheep. In the 1980s and 90s 60% of Sierra Nevada Bighorn sheep were killed by diseases carried by domestic sheep. A big part of the recovery plan for this subspecies of bighorn sheep is keeping other sheep away from them. Like most species bighorn sheep have suffered from habitat degradation. The largest offender are highways and roads. They physically separate the different herds and make it much easier for each herd to go extinct locally. Another threat to Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep are mountain lions. Mountain lions prey on the younger bighorn sheep and bring down the overall population. They also seem to make the Bighorn sheep stay out of the fertile valleys where the grass is and stay on the mountain tops to stay away from the mountain lions. This causes the Bighorn sheep’s fitness to go down. For this problem unfortunately nothing can be done as mountain lions are a protected species.

  Source(https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Lion)

Source (www.Flickriver.com)

Sierra Nevada Bighorn sheep were listed as endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife service on April 20,1999. The recovery plan hopes to bring these large mammals back from endangered and hopefully have a stable population. The recovery plan includes trying to obtain private lands from landowners where it is deemed an important habitat for bighorn sheep. Trans locations from one herd to another are also used to keep herd sizes up. When a herd size is too small or does not have enough females researchers will take females from other herds to keep every herd alive and well. A captive breeding program is also part of the program to aid in translocations. Another part of the plan is to keep domesticated sheep and goats away from Bighorn Sheep. This will prevent inter mating that produces hybrids and the diseases that domesticated sheep have. The recovery plan also has a team ready for a pneumonia outbreak that could potential wipe out the remaining Bighorn Sheep. Under this plan wildlife researchers will also manage human contact and activities that can potential harm the Bighorn Sheep. Since the population is low genetic diversity is also low. The captive breeding program hopes to bring in more diversity so that the species is not as susceptible to disease and extinction. Lastly the recovery plan also pays for an educational aspect for the general public. This mostly occurs in Yosemite National Park where visitors are taught the dire straights that Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep find themselves in.

 Source (California Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Figure One Population of Bighorn Sheep 

                                                             Source (ESAsuccess.info)

The population of the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep was believed to be numbered in the thousands before the California gold rush. As shown in figure one the population started to decline from 300 bighorn sheep in 1990 to under a 100 in 1999. As already explained this was mostly due to disease and predation by mountain lions. Luckily after being emergency listed in 1999 the population slowly started to climb to a more stable herd number of over 400. Now with the recovery plan the population is mostly stable. The population is trending upward and hopefully stays that way. Thank you for reading this blog and now you know the plight that Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep find themselves in. 

References

Recovery Plan for the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep. Rep. Sacramento: California/Nevada Office of                    t                  the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2007. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.

"Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep." National Park Service,. Yosemite National Park, n.d. Web. 28 Nov.             2                 2015.

The Black Footed Ferret

by Jeremias Kempt

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nko2h7vgCi4

OPEN THE BLUE LINK'S

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripens) is America's only native ferret species. It is one of the most threatened mammals in North America and was assumed as extinct. One reason for the ferrets vulnerability is because it is strongly dependent on the prairie dog. 

Description & Ecology
The black-footed ferret is in average 19-24 inches long and weighs 1.4-2.5 lbs. It is a solitary mammal and becomes 4-5 years old. The color is generally brownish with black feet and a black 'mask'. The ferrets life is heavily dependent on prairie dogs, they are the main food source (around 90%) and provide burrows as habitat for the them. It is a nocturnal animal and difficult to monitor. HERE you can see one of the rare videos of the ferret in the wild!

     Black Footed Ferret prey's on a Prairie Dog

     https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Black-footed_Ferret_Learning_to_Hunt.jpg

http://www.gif-paradies.de/tiere/frettchen.html

Geographic and Population Changes

The ferret's original habitat reached over a large part of North America. It populated in semi-arid grasslands, mountain basins and the Great Plains, wherever the black-tailed prairie dog, Gunnison's prairie dog or white-tailed prairie dog occurred. It is supposed that the black-footed ferret counted between 500.000 and 1.000.000 individuals 100 years ago spread over an area of 100 million acres from Canada to Mexico. This historical occupied habitat decreased approximately by 96 percent. The average minimum of breeding adults in the wild is around 418 individuals today. The current black-footed ferret populations are nearly all the result of reintroduction efforts.

Current reintroduction sites (numbers) in the ranges of the black-tailed prairie dog, Gunnison’s prairie dog, and white-tailed prairie dog.

http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/blackfootedferret/

Listing Date & Type

The black-footed ferret was listed as endangered in 1967, even before the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The protection status 'grandfathered' (adopt) into the act. The ferret is actually listed as recovery priority 2C (high degree of threat).

Furthermore, the WWF listed the black-footed ferret as endangered (facing a high risk of extinction in the wild), and it is listed on Appendix I (threatened with extinction, prohibition of international trade) of the CITES. 

Poisoned prairie dogs in Arizona around 1900
http://usercontent1.hubimg.com/12082342_f520.jpg

Cause of Listing & Main Threats
The decrease of black-footed ferrets is due to the dependency on the prairie dog. Prairie dog populations are decreasing since the late 1800s with effects to the ferret. The main reasons are conversion of native grasslands to agricultural and urban land since the late 1800s, poisoning of prairie dogs because they are in competition for forage with livestock, and diseases like the exotic sylvatic plague (which infects the ferret and the prairie dog) or the native canine distemper. There are also natural threats like predation of coyotes and great horned owls.

Little sad now? Low concentration?

:( :( :( !!! PLAY A FERRET-GAME !!! :) :) :)

http://www.gif-paradies.de/tiere/frettchen.html

Description of RECOVERY PLAN

The recovery plan of the black-footed ferret is one of the oldest from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The goal of the recovery plan is the downlisting by 2023 and the delisting by 2043 of the ferret. There are several actions in the recovery plan to achieve this objectives. For example managing a captive ferret population, locate high potential reintroduction habitats, establish new free ranging populations, reduce the impact of diseases and support cooperative management. Since 1991 there have been twenty new reintroduction sites in the United States. However, the downlisting criteria specify the number of free ranging black-footed ferrets with 1,500 in >10 populations. Furthermore, one criteria is to maintain a captive population with 280 adults in at least 3 facilities. The last downlisting requirement is to maintain 100,000 hectar possible reintroduction habitate. The downlisting is approved if the aformentioned conditions last 3 years. The goal of downlisting until 2023 is 40 percent successful today, not enough!

Personal Action

There are several ways how you can support the preservation of the black-footed ferret! Support agencies like the WWF and ADOPT a black-footed ferret, get a sweet little stuffed animal and a adoption certificate for your help.

Or click HERE and learn how to help.


http://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Black-footed-Ferret.aspx?sc=AWY1302WC922&_ga=1.43837411.756791172.1447891811

http://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Black-footed-Ferret.aspx

Sources:

U.S. Fish and Wilflife Service,. (2013). Retrieved 29 November 2015, from http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/20131108%20BFF%202nd%20Rev.%20Final%20Recovery%20Plan.pdf