It's a small,
gray songbird that's so defenseless it can't even protect its young from
marauding cowbirds who devour its chicks and take over its nest.
Yet, the least
bell's vireo - a shy bird found only in California's diminishing wetlands - has
miraculously fought off extinction and could spark a SoCal-style face-off
between developers and conservationists.
Two sightings of
the bird in the San Gabriel Valley this summer have conservationists happily
canceling the bird's obituary. The least bell's vireo has been on the federal
endangered species list since 1986.
One bird was
spotted along the San Gabriel River between Duarte and Azusa in late April. A
pair - most likely a mother and baby - was found on July 15 at Hahamongna
Watershed Park in Pasadena, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
local birding groups.
At both
locations, ornithologists and local birders who keep detailed records of birds
species in the area, say the endangered bird had not been seen in these
locations in decades.
The two least
bell's vireos seen at Hahamongna during several weeks in July and August could
put a stop to plans by the city to build a second soccer field at the park.
Continued: http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_21668432/rare-endangered-bird-spotted-pasadena-san-gabriel-river
More information about the Least Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus)
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