INTERNATIONAL BIRDS INITIATIVE

Alarmed about declines of scores of the world’s rarest and most beautiful birds, ornithologists submitted petitions to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1980 and 1991 to list 73 imperiled bird species from around the world under the Endangered Species Act. But after a quarter century of unreasonable delay, the agency has only listed six of the bird species and published proposed listing rules for six others. At least five of the 73 birds have gone extinct while waiting for protection.

The Center joined the battle to protect declining birds around the world in 2003, when we first sued the Service over its delay in issuing proposed listing rules for the 73 birds. As a result of that lawsuit, the Service issued a long-overdue finding that more than 50 of the birds warranted listing, but continued to insist that listing was precluded by higher-priority actions. A series of lawsuits by the Center has advanced listing for a dozen of the rarest birds: six species were listed as endangered in 2008 (the black stilt, caerulean paradise-flycatcher, giant ibis, Gurney's pitta, Socorro mockingbird, and long-legged thicketbird) and in 2007 the Service published a proposed listing rule for six imperiled seabirds from New Zealand, Fiji, New Guinea, and the Galapagos Islands (the Chatham, magenta, Cook’s, Galapagos, and Fiji petrels, and the Heinroth’s shearwater). Also in 2007, the Center challenged the Service’s latest finding that listing for 45 of the bird species is “warranted but precluded.”

Listing international species under the Endangered Species Act restricts trade in vanishing species, increases conservation funding and attention to recovery efforts, and adds scrutiny to projects proposed by the U.S. government and multilateral lending agencies. The Center will continue our work to see that the magnificent imperiled birds that have not yet been listed gain the Act’s full protection.

CASE STUDIES: UNPROTECTED INTERNATIONAL BIRDS

Okinawa woodpecker
The Okinawa woodpecker lives in Yanbaru, a small, ecologically unique area of forested woodlands in northern Okinawa. The prefectural bird of Okinawa, this woodpecker is designated as a “national natural monument.” But the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and Japan’s Ministry of Environment have also designated the bird a critically endangered species because it has only a single, small declining population. One of the numerous threats to the woodpecker is the proposed construction of additional helicopter landing areas and related access roads for U.S. military training activities.

Blue-throated macaw
Bolivia’s blue-throated macaw, like many other exotic species, is suffering harm from trapping and trade — primarily for sale as a pet — and likely only numbers between 75 and 150 birds in the wild. The macaw is supposed to be protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, but this treaty is relatively difficult to enforce, and without listing, the Service is unable to use the Endangered Species Act’s stronger enforcement options.

Slender-billed curlew