As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Tuesday 1 April 2014

THREATENED BIRD SPECIES: Texas native bird added to threatened species list

Posted: Sunday, March 30, 2014 8:51 pm

By Kaylin McDermett 
Staff Writer |


A native West Texas bird species has recently been added to the list of threatened animals because of a sharp population decrease.

Tympanuchus pallidicinctus, or more commonly known as the Prairie Chicken, was placed on the list of threatened species, which is a step below the level of an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Calvin Richardson, with Texas Parks and Wildlife, said the bird used to be a common sight on the Great Plains, but over the past few years, both natural and man-made factors have caused a population decline.

“We’ve had three years of drought, going into the fourth year,” he said. “It’s real hard to separate man-made threats from natural ones. The chicken is so difficult because they are bothered by many man-made developments, but they are also extremely susceptible to drought even without man-made threats.”

The Prairie Chicken is found across the Great Plains in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s website.

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