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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