Orange County is home to many different birds, and some of those birds are less common than others because of their declining populations. Unfortunately, some of these birds are threatened or endangered due to factors such as human impacts and invasive species.
Being endangered means that a species is close to extinction: being completely gone from Earth. Being listed as threatened means that the species can possibly be endangered in the future. Species are protected and labeled under the U.S Endangered Species Act (ESA) which is a federal law that was enacted in 1973. The species labeling depends on its risk of becoming extinct. The process of listing animals involves scientific assessment, public comment periods, and petitions where people can request what species should be added to the list. The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service has the final decision on which species will be listed. These protections often come with laws that ban the hunting and trapping of the specific species as well as habitat protections in certain areas like for the Western Snowy Plover throughout our coasts.
Orange County Habitats
A main reason many birds are on this list in Orange County in particular is because of changes to their habitats. Orange County hosts a wide variety of habitats such as the coastal sage scrub which is one of the rarest ecosystems in the world, sometimes even considered rarer than the tropical rainforest. This ecosystem is found only in coastal hillsides in California and northwestern Baja California. It is also known as coastal scrub or soft chaparral and is made up of low growing shrubs such as coyote brush, coastal prickly pear cactus, and California sagebrush. This habitat is located under 3,000 feet, is close to the ocean, and has dry but foggy conditions.
Orange County also has chaparral, wetland, and riparian habitats. Chaparral consist of deep rooted, drought-and-fire-adapted evergreen shrubs growing on textured soils. This habitat is used by coyotes, bobcats, deer, rabbits, mountain lions, lizards, and birds. Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil. The habitat includes unique plants and often hosts many different birds, fish, and amphibians. Riparian habitats are located by a body of water such as a stream, river, or lake. This habitat hosts willows, oaks, berry plants, and usually has lush greenery around it.
Native birds have lived in their Orange County habitats for millions of years, but these habitats have recently been threatened due to human activity such as urban sprawl and importing invasive plants and animals. A large threat to these ecosystems is urban sprawl and development. Urban sprawl is uncontrolled expansion of urban areas which usually happens when cities and areas become too congested. New developments and new roads cause destruction to habitats as well. These habitats are also subject to invasive plants and outcompeting native species; the same applies to non-native and native animals and birds. Some examples are the mustard plant that blooms yellow flowers but later dies and creates dry sticks that are subject to burning, and the brown headed cowbird that takes advantage of other birds’ nests.
Endangered and Threatened Birds of Orange County
The variety and rarity of some of Orange County’s habitats as well as human impacts have put some birds in danger, one being the California gnatcatcher.
California Gnatcatcher
The California Gnatcatcher is currently threatened under the ESA and lives in the coastal sage scrub. The California gnatcatcher has a dark grey body and the males have a black cap on their head. They have dull gray colors and have darker tipped wings and tails. Their call is similar to a kitten and is oftentimes raspy. They are threatened because their habitat range is quite small, and habitat loss has had a significant impact on their population. The invasive brown-headed cowbird is also a threat to their species. Brown-headed cowbirds don't lay eggs in their own nest, but rather they lay eggs in other birds' nests like the gnatcatcher. Since the cowbird eggs hatch quicker than the gnatcatcher, the gnatcatchers take care of the first birds hatched instead of their young, which leads to declining populations. Due to these conditions, the gnatcatcher has been protected under the ESA since 1993.
Western Snowy Plover
Currently the Western Snowy Plover is listed as threatened, which means it is likely to become endangered in the future. Their habitat is coastal beaches and dunes, so as a result, they are sand colored above and white on their belly with a narrow stripe on their forehead and behind their eyes. In order to find food they run across the sand with their mouths open to catch small bugs. They do not build nests, but just lay eggs in dips in the sand which makes their eggs very vulnerable to being destroyed. Since their nests are hard to spot, their threats include human disturbance, dogs, predators, and habitat destruction.
Least Bell’s Vireo
The Least Bell’s Vireo lives in riparian habitats near water. This bird’s status is endangered, with about 3,000 breeding pairs left. This bird is small and plain looking, with a slim body. They have a light gray ashy body, a faint white eye ring and subtle white wing bars. Their slightly hooked bill is used to pluck bugs from leaves. They use dense willows for nesting and are also threatened by habitat loss and the brown headed cowbird. Local conservation efforts to protect their habitat include removing invasive plants along rivers like the Santa Ana and trapping and relocating cowbirds.
Ridgway’s Rail
The Ridgway’s Rail lives in coastal salt marshes and is a medium sized, secretive bird with a long slightly curved bill and reddish brown colors. This bird is near threatened due to habitat loss, pollution , urbanization, and invasive species. They eat crustaceans, small fish, and bugs. Feral cats, rats, pollution, and wetlands destruction are their main threats. A fun fact about them is that they are called the “ghost of the marsh” because of how well they hide and how hard they are to spot. OC Habitats is working with the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy to protect these birds, growing and planting spiny rush plants which protect the Ridgway’s Rail nests from predators. There have also been two breeding pairs released in the marsh last year!
Yellow Billed Cuckoo
The Yellow Billed Cuckoo is a threatened species which lives in riparian woodlands with dense plants near rivers and streams and is now less commonly seen in Orange County because it requires healthy cottonwood and willow forests. These birds have a slender body, long tail, and a yellow lower bill. They have a shy personality and a coo-coo call and they tend to eat caterpillars, small fruit, and bugs. Their threats include water diversion and urban development. They are also called the “rain crow” because old folk stories claim that they tend to be more vocal before storms.
Protection and Action
Saving birds is particularly important because they aid the environment by being part of the food chain, dispersing plant seeds, and keeping other insects and animals in check. Their songs are also an ecosystem service since they help us connect to the wildlife around us. Protecting all birds, especially ones that are threatened or endangered, can and has been done through conservation and restoration such as in the Huntington Beach wetlands where OC Habitats has been specifically tasked with organizing volunteers for restorations. These efforts are also done by other organizations such as Nature Conservancy, OC Coastkeeper, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Continuing to educate yourself on birds and their status is a good start to protect them and volunteering with groups like OC Habitats can make a big difference.
References:
All About Birds
U.S Fish and Wildlife Service
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Comentarios