Official Number of Protected Migratory Bird Species Climbs to More than 1,000

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Acting Director Rowan Gould today announced revisions to the list of bird species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Species appearing on this list are governed under migratory bird hunting and permitting regulations concerning most aspects of possession, transportation, sale, purchase, exportation, and importation of protected species. The list, last updated in 1985, incorporates the latest taxonomic and scientific data for migratory birds. The changes include 186 new additions and 11 subtractions, bringing the total number of species protected under the MBTA to 1007.