Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to remove Endangered Species Act protection from the interior least tern, a small bird that nests along major rivers in the Midwest and southern United States. Least terns in the interior population prefer nesting on open sandbars near wide river channels. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.6 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. The Lower Mississippi River hosts the largest numbers of interior least terns, due in large part to a more naturally functioning river system and periodic flooding. “The Endangered Species Act brought these tiny terns back from the brink,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Least Terns are summer residents in Kansas. Endangered Species Act protections have helped interior least tern numbers expand nearly tenfold over the past three decades. The fish-eating least tern is the smallest of North American terns. The interior least tern population is now estimated at roughly 18,000 birds. California Least Terns nest on open, sandy dunes along the coast, and feed on small fish like anchovy and smelt in shallow coastal waters, lagoons and estuaries. Natural wide channels dotted with sandbars have been replaced by narrow, armor-banked rivers with highly altered flows. Status: Endangered (Proposed for Delisting) The Interior Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) is the smallest of the terns found in North America.Meriwether Lewis and William Clark recorded their first observation of an Interior Least Tern on August 5, 1804 along the Missouri River, near present day Omaha, Nebraska while on their 1803—1805 “Voyage of Discovery” across North America (2013 Tern and Plover … Protective legislation in 1918 allowed the species to recover in the 1920s and 1930s. This was caused by changes to river systems from dams, dikes, reservoirs and water diversions, which eliminated most historic least tern nesting habitat. They occur along major midwestern rivers such as the Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio and Arkansas, along the Red River in Louisiana, and on the Rio Grande River in New Mexico and Texas. The spread of invasive plants also reduced suitable tern nesting habitat. Nesting birds have been recorded in six central and western Kansas counties, Jeffery Energy Center and along the Kansas River. Threats include egg and fledgling predators, high tides and recreational use of nesting beaches. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E). A 1990 recovery plan set an overall population goal of 7,000 birds, which has been exceeded since 1994. The tern would be the 45th species to be delisted for recovery in the United States, including 21 in the past five years. “If we don’t save the Endangered Species Act from Trump, it won’t be able to save our imperiled plants and animals anymore.”. They winter along coastal areas of Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands. The interior least tern population is now estimated at roughly 18,000 birds. The tern would be the 45th species to be delisted for recovery in the United States, including 21 in the past five years. “This is another example of how well this landmark law works to save wildlife that’s at risk of vanishing. Protecting these pretty birds has also helped us move toward managing rivers to more closely mimic natural flows, benefiting many other species and river health.”. Our conservation efforts can be broken down into three main volunteer programs: habitat restoration events, the Conservation Team Leader program, and Ternwatchers, our predator monitoring volunteers. The recent 5-Year Review indicated that interior least tern numbers have increased substantially since listing. Tern population targets have also not been met for the Rio Grande River drainage, but there have only been periodic and partial tern surveys there since 1985. Over 60% of the nesting population can be found in San Diego County. The California Least Tern (Sternula antillarum browni) is an endangered species of migratory seabird that nests along the coasts of California through Baja every April through mid-September. Listing: Listing the interior least tern as an endangered species in 1985 provided this bird with Endangered Species Act protection, which increased its visibility and made it a conservation priority for federal agencies working on rivers within the central U.S. Threats to the species include habitat loss, invasive plants, disturbance by beachgoers and dogs, increased predation, and declining food resources. Tern population size targets for recovery have been met in the Mississippi, Red and Arkansas river drainages, but not yet in the Missouri drainage, perhaps the most heavily impounded and managed of the rivers in the tern’s range. The second smallest species of tern (only 9 inches long when fully grown), this bird was one of the first species to receive federal protections after the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973. Click on each program below to learn about how you can help, and keep an eye out for events on the calendar. “Trump officials are mangling a law that has been critical to rescuing these birds and so many other species,” Greenwald said. San Diego Audubon has been working to meet each of these threats with the help of our dedicated volunteers and our funders and partners, including the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the City of San Diego, the U.S. Terns require barren areas near water such as saline flats in salt marshes, sand bars in river beds, and shores of large impoundments. Most terns in the Missouri watershed are found on the Niobrara, which is the least impounded of the tributaries. The tern’s recovery announcement comes months after the Trump administration finalized rollbacks to key Endangered Species Act regulations. Around the turn of the century, the least tern was in danger of extirpation in the northeastern U. S. because of hunting for the millinery trade. The California Least Tern (Sternula antillarum browni) is an endangered species of migratory seabird that nests along the coasts of California through Baja every April through mid-September. The second smallest species of tern (only 9 inches long when fully grown), this bird was one of the first species to receive federal protections after the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973. October 23, 2019, Noah Greenwald, (503) 484-7495, ngreenwald@biologicaldiversity.org, Interior Least Tern an Endangered Species Act Recovery Success, Federal Officials Propose Removing Bird From Protected Species List. Before being protected as endangered in 1985, the number of interior least terns had plummeted below 2,000 birds. JACKSON, Miss.— The U.S. CA Least Terns had a Successful Nesting Season in Mission Bay! Tern counts in the Missouri River drainage continue to fall below the population target, because the river is highly regulated and dams interrupt the supply of sediments needed to build sandbars along rivers. San Diego Audubon Intensifies Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Efforts, The Future is Now: King Tides Photography Project, 2020 Conservation Team Leader application. Surveys from 1985-1995 found an average of approximately 3,000 breedin… But least terns have proven resilient to habitat changes and have benefited from improved river management to create suitable habitat. Recreational activities on rivers and sandbars can disturb nesting terns, causing them to abandon their nests. WASHINGTON (October 23, 2019) – Today, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to delist the Interior Least Tern as a result of its increased population. Save the Endangered California Least Tern. There were no historical records of least terns from natural river segments in the Rio Grande River drainage, and all current populations occur in human-created or altered habitats. The population is about 21,500 pairs; it is not currently considered federally threatened, though it is considered threatened in many of the states in which it breeds. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists the least tern population found in the interior U. S. as endangered. On the Gulf Coast, our Beach-nesting Birds Program and many partners are cooperating to bring back populations of Least Tern and other vulnerable beach-nesting birds including Black Skimmer , Wilson's Plover , and Snowy Plover . Our staff organized the first range-wide population survey of the Interior Least Tern; in the near future, the species may be removed from the endangered species list. Endangered Species Act protections have helped interior least tern numbers expand nearly tenfold over the past three decades. A 1990 recovery plan set an overall population goal of 7,000 birds, which has … The changes could lead to extinction for hundreds of animals and plants.

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