"These results show just how important the Attwaters captive breeding and release program is to saving the species," said Terry Rossignol, Attwater Prairie-Chicken Recovery Team Leader and Manager of the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge. "Since 1996, an average of 52 Attwaters prairie-chickens were released into the wild each year to supplement existing populations in Colorado and Galveston Counties, and this seems to have stabilized these two remaining populations."
For the past two years, Refugio County was home to a dozen Attwaters, Rossignol added. But not supplementing this population with captive-reared birds created a situation where "it was only a matter of time before it became extinct.The lack of having enough captive-reared birds is one of the main reasons Attwaters were not released in Refugio County.
Three new captive breeding facilities will join the recovery effort, including Sea World of Texas (San Antonio) this year, plus the Abilene Zoo and Cameron Park Zoo (Waco) next year. "Weve shown that the birds can successfully be raised in captivity and released into the wild," said Rossignol. "Now we need to produce and release larger numbers of birds to see an increase in the statewide population.
A captive breeding program for the prairie-chicken was initiated in 1992 at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center near Glen Rose, Texas. Other facilities involved in the effort include Texas A&M University, the Houston Zoo, and the San Antonio Zoo.
Survival of released birds into the next years breeding season since 1996 has ranged from 21 to 53 percent. At the end of March, 13 of 38 birds (34 percent) released last September and January were still alive and adapting to their coastal prairie environment. Successful nesting by released hens was documented in 1997 and 1998. So far this year, wildlife biologists have located eight radio-collared hens nesting in Colorado and Galveston Counties.
At the turn of the century, an estimated 1 million Attwaters prairie-chickens roamed the coastal prairies of Texas and Louisiana. Although weather anomalies can be blamed for the birds decline in recent years, habitat destruction and fragmentation is the number-one cause for its downfall. The recovery goal for this imperiled bird is to restore and maintain a genetically viable, stable and self-sustaining population of at least 5,000 individuals. Anyone interested in learning more about the Attwaters prairie-chicken or recovery efforts involving this imperiled species should contact:
Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR P.O. Box 519 Eagle Lake, TX 77434 (409) 234-3021 e:mail: R2RW_APC@fws.gov">
1999 Attwaters Prairie-Chicken Survey Results
County 1998 1999 Percent Change
Colorado* 8 18 + 56% Galveston 36 28 - 22% Refugio 12 0 - 100% Totals 56 46 - 18%
Surveys are conducted by counting male Attwaters on known booming grounds. Assuming a 1:1 sex ratio, the total male population is multiplied by 2 to get the grand total of the population.
* The Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge is located in Colorado County.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands and prairies, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts.
