|
Species of Concern
Birds of Conservation Concern
Many species of migratory birds, including eagles and other raptors, are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, (MBTA) 16 U.S.C. 703 and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act) 16 U.S.C. 668. The Service’s Birds of Conservation Concern (2008) report identifies “species, subspecies, and populations of all migratory nongame birds that, without additional conservation actions, are likely to become candidates for listing” under the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C 1531 et seq.). This report is intended to stimulate coordinated and proactive conservation actions among Federal, State, and private partners.
The Wyoming Partners in Flight Wyoming Bird Conservation Plan identifies priority bird species and habitats, and establishes objectives for bird populations and habitats in Wyoming. This plan also recommends conservation actions to accomplish the population and habitat objectives.
We encourage project planners to develop and implement protective measures for the Birds of Conservation Concern as well as other high priority species identified in the Wyoming Bird Conservation Plan. In order to further promote the conservation of migratory bird populations and their habitats, Federal agencies should implement those strategies directed by Executive Order 13186, “Responsibilities of Federal Agencies To Protect Migratory Birds” (66 FR 3853).
The MBTA specifically protects migratory birds and their nests from possession, sale, purchase, barter, transport, import, and export, and take. The regulatory definition of take (50 CFR 10.12), means to pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or attempt to hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect. Work that could lead to the take of a migratory bird or eagle, their young, eggs, or nests (for example, if you are going to erect new roads, or power lines in the vicinity of a nest), should be coordinated with our office before any actions are taken.
Listed in Table 1 below are the Birds of Conservation Concern that occur in Wyoming, with their conservation priority and primary habitat type as identified in the Wyoming Bird Conservation Plan.
The Birds of Conservation Concern Report divides geographical areas into “Bird Conservation Regions.” Wyoming is included in portions of four Bird Conservation Regions: BCR 10 (Northern Rockies U.S. portion only), BCR 16 (Southern Rockies/Colorado Plateau), BCR 17 (Badlands and Prairies), and BCR 18 (Shortgrass Prairie).
Conservation Priority: Level I (Conservation Action): Species clearly needs conservation action; Level II (Monitoring): The action and focus for the species is monitoring (M). Declining population trend and habitat loss are not significant at this point; Level III (Local Interest): Species that Wyoming Partners In Flight may recommend for conservation action (CA) that are not otherwise high priority but are of local interest (LI); Level IV (Not Considered Priority): Additional species of concern, but not considered a priority species.
Table 1. Birds of Conservation Concern that occur in Wyoming |
||||
Common name |
Scientific Name |
Bird Conservation Region (BCR) |
Conservation Priority from the Wyoming Bird Conservation Plan |
Primary Habitat Type(s) from the Wyoming Bird Conservation Plan |
American Bittern |
Botaurus lentiginosus |
BCR 16, BCR 17 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Wetlands |
Baird's Sparrow |
Ammodramus bairdii |
BCR 17 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Shortgrass Prairie |
Bald Eagle (b) |
Haliaeetus leucocephalus |
BCR 10 , BCR 16 , BCR 17, BCR 18 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Montane Riparian, Plains/Basin Riparian |
Brewer's Sparrow |
Spizella breweri |
BCR 10 , BCR 16 , BCR 17 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Shrub-steppe, Mountain-foothills Shrub |
Burrowing Owl |
Athene cunicularia |
BCR 16 , BCR 17 , BCR 18 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Shortgrass Prairie |
Ferruginous Hawk |
Buteo regalis |
BCR 10 , BCR 16 , BCR 17 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Shrub-steppe, Shortgrass Prairie |
Long-billed Curlew |
Numenius americanus |
BCR 10 , BCR 16 , BCR 17 , BCR 18 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Shortgrass Prairie, Meadows |
McCown's Longspur |
Calcarius mccownii |
BCR 10 , BCR 17 , BCR 18 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Shortgrass Prairie |
Mountain Plover |
Charadrius montanus |
BCR 16 , BCR 17 , BCR 18 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Shortgrass Prairie, Shrub-steppe |
Peregrine Falcon (b) |
Falco peregrinus |
BCR 10 , BCR 16 , BCR 17 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Specialized (cliffs) |
Sage Sparrow |
Amphispiza belli |
BCR 10 , BCR 17 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Shrub-steppe, Mountain-foothills Shrub |
Short-eared Owl |
Asio flammeus |
BCR 17 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Shortgrass Prairie, Meadows |
Swainson's Hawk |
Buteo swainsoni |
BCR 10 |
Level I (Conservation Action) |
Plains/Basin Riparian |
Upland Sandpiper |
Bartramia longicauda |
BCR 10 , BCR 17 , BCR 18 |
Level I (Conservation Action |
Shortgrass Prairie |
Black-billed Cuckoo |
Coccyzus erythropthalmus |
BCR 17 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Plains/Basin Riparian |
Calliope Hummingbird |
Stellula calliope |
BCR 10 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Mid Elevation Conifer, Montane Riparian |
Chestnut-collared Longspur |
Calcarius ornatus |
BCR 16, BCR 17 , BCR 18 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Shortgrass Prairie |
Dickcissel |
Spiza americana |
BCR 17 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Shortgrass Prairie |
Grasshopper Sparrow |
Ammodramus savannarum |
BCR 16 , BCR 17 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Shortgrass Prairie, Shrub-steppe |
Juniper Titmouse |
Baeolophus ridgwayi |
BCR 16 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Juniper Woodland |
Lark Bunting |
Calamospiza melanocorys |
BCR 18 (Shortgrass Prairie) |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Shortgrass Prairie, Shrub-steppe |
Lewis's Woodpecker |
Melanerpes lewis |
BCR 10 , BCR 16, BCR 17 , BCR 18 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Low Elevation Conifer, Plains/Basin Riparian |
Loggerhead Shrike |
Lanius ludovicianus |
BCR 10, BCR 17 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Shrub-steppe |
Olive-sided Flycatcher |
Contopus cooperi |
BCR 10 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
High Elevation Conifer, Mid Elevation Conifer |
Sage Thrasher |
Oreoscoptes montanus |
BCR 10 , BCR 17 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Shrub-steppe |
Snowy Plover (c) |
Charadrius alexandrinus |
BCR 16, BCR 18 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Wetlands |
Williamson's Sapsucker |
Sphyrapicus thyroideus |
BCR 10 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Mid Elevation Conifer |
Willow Flycatcher (c) |
Empidonax traillii |
BCR 10, BCR 16 , BCR 18 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Montane Riparian, Plains/Basin Riparian |
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (w. U.S. DPS) (a) |
Coccyzus americanus |
BCR 10 , BCR 16 |
Level II (Monitoring) |
Plains/Basin Riparian |
Black Rosy-Finch |
Leucosticte atrata |
BCR 10 , BCR 16 |
Level III (Local Interest) |
Alpine Tundra/Grassland, Specialized (cliffs) |
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch |
Leucosticte australis |
BCR 16 |
Level III (Local Interest) |
Alpine Tundra/Grassland, Specialized (cliffs) |
Golden Eagle |
Aquila chrysaetos |
BCR 16 , BCR 17, BCR 18 |
Level III (Local Interest) |
Specialized (cliffs) |
Prairie Falcon |
Falco mexicanus |
BCR 16 , BCR 17 |
Level III (Local Interest) |
Specialized (cliffs) |
Red-headed Woodpecker |
Melanerpes erythrocephalus |
BCR 17 |
Level III (Local Interest) |
Plains/Basin Riparian, Low Elevation Conifer |
Veery |
Catharus fuscescens |
BCR 16 |
Level III (Local Interest) |
Montane Riparian |
Cassin's Finch |
Carpodacus cassinii |
BCR 10 , BCR 16 |
Level IV (Not Considered Priority) |
Mid Elevation Conifer, High Elevation Conifer |
Pinyon Jay |
Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus |
BCR 16, BCR 17 |
Level IV (Not Considered Priority) |
Juniper Woodland |
Sprague's Pipit |
Anthus spragueii |
BCR 17 , BCR 18 |
Not Listed |
|
Yellow Rail |
Coturnicops noveboracensis |
BCR 17 |
Not Listed |
|
Black Swift |
Cypseloides niger |
BCR 10 |
Not Listed |
|
Marbled Godwit |
Limosa fedoa |
BCR 17 |
Not Listed |
|
Flammulated Owl |
Otus flammeolus |
BCR 10 , BCR 16 |
Not Listed |
|
Horned Grebe |
Podiceps auritus |
BCR 17 |
Not Listed |
|
Table 1 Note: Under “Common Name” we have included information related to status under the Endangered Species Act: (a) ESA candidate, (b) ESA delisted, and (c) non-listed subspecies or population of Threatened or Endangered species.
References
66 FR 3853 - Presidential Documents. Executive Order 13186 of January 10, 2001. Responsibilities of Federal Agencies To Protect Migratory Birds. Federal Register January 17, 2001.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2008. Birds of Conservation Concern 2008. United States Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management, Arlington, Virginia. 85 pp. [Online version available at <http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/>]
Nicholoff, S. H., compiler. 2003. Wyoming Bird Conservation Plan, Version 2.0. Wyoming Partners In Flight. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Lander, WY.
