TUCSON, Ariz. — The yellow-billed cuckoo has been disappearing from its home in the Western U.S., a decline that prompted the federal Fish and Wildlife Service to announce Thursday that the bird has been listed as a threatened species.
The yellow-billed cuckoo will now be protected under the Endangered Species Act.
The bird resides in 12 western states and in Mexico and Canada, but Arizona has the largest population. There are about 350 to 495 pairs in the U.S., according to the American Bird Conservancy, which says none has been spotted in Oregon, Washington, or Montana recently.
But the agency says the once abundant bird has declined in population in large part because of the severe loss of its riparian habitat, dam construction, a growth in agriculture and river flow management and protection efforts.
“While the major threat to yellow-billed cuckoos has been loss of riverside habitat, we do not anticipate any significant new water-related requirements as a result of this listing decision,” said Ren Lohoefener, U.S. Fish and Wildlife director for the Pacific Southwest Region.
The agency this year also proposed to make more than 5,000 acres in the upper Cienega Creek, where the birds thrive, a critical habitat, giving it a layer of protection.
