Natural History Wanderings

The New York Times  has an op-ed on the plight of the Gunnison Sage-Grouse. In 2000  it was given its common name as it was the first new bird species described in Continental North America in a century. There are less than 5000 birds today, which are split into seven genetically isolated populations.

Although desperately needing federal Endangered Species protection there is resistance from local land owners. In 2008 Fish and Wildlife declined to give the bird endangered status, but reversed itself due to a lawsuit in 2010 and is in the process of giving the bird protected status.

Read more in the New York Times at Newly Discovered, Nearly Extinct

See a video of this fascinating bird and the unusual sounds it makes at this Cornell Lab of Ornithology video: Gunnison Sage-Grouse