Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Environment
  •  

California Protects Tricolored Blackbird As A Threatened Species, Fewer Than 200,000 Remain

  •  Ezra David Romero 
Monday, April 23, 2018 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Marcel Holyoak / Flickr

Male Tricolored Blackbirds have a red spot and a white bar on their wings. They mostly call California home, and the bird’s population has dropped by 55 percent since 2008.

Marcel Holyoak / Flickr

Tricolored Blackbird populations have dropped 55 percent over the past decade, leading the state of California to list the bird as threatened last week.

Male Tricolored Blackbirds have a red spot and a white bar on their wings. They mostly call California home.

“Tricolored Blackbirds are really California’s blackbird,” said Samantha Arthur with Audubon California.

She applauds the California Fish and Game Commission's recent decision to list Tricolored Blackbirds as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act. In the 1930s there were millions of the birds in the state. Today there are fewer than 178,000.

"It's never good news to see a species go on the list, but this is an opportunity to bring folks together to address the threats,” Arthur adds. "We're seeing California really step up to protect its wildlife, when on the national level those same types of protections are being undercut.

The birds nest in huge colonies – picture 20,000 birds filling the sky. They prefer wetlands, but often make grain fields home because of habitat loss and climate change. That’s a problem for farmers who use the crops for feed.

“One colony of lots of birds altogether can lose their reproductive output if for example a field is harvested that they are nesting in,” said Arthur.

In response, dairy owners are actively working with Audubon and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to allow the birds to nest where they want. If they choose a farmer's field, funds are available for replacement feed.

 


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

Ezra David Romero

Former Environment Reporter

Ezra David Romero is a former Environment Reporter at CapRadio.  Read Full Bio 

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More Environment Stories

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

Much of the Sacramento Valley is under red flag warning starting Thursday

May 18, 2022

Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo

Tribes, environmental groups demand better management of the Bay-Delta

May 24, 2022

Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

‘Everyone loses’: Sacramento Valley struggles to survive unprecedented water cuts

May 23, 2022

Most Viewed

Suspected monkeypox case reported in Sacramento County

Downtown Sacramento shooting: What we know and latest updates

Some living in 209 area code will need to switch to 350

A Sacramento County nonprofit is offering to pay $3,000 worth of bills if you test positive for COVID-19 at their clinic

A married couple turns an out-of-commission helicopter into a camper

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

Suspected monkeypox case reported in Sacramento County

Downtown Sacramento shooting: What we know and latest updates

Some living in 209 area code will need to switch to 350

A Sacramento County nonprofit is offering to pay $3,000 worth of bills if you test positive for COVID-19 at their clinic

A married couple turns an out-of-commission helicopter into a camper

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.