Gunnison Sage Grouse Listed as "Candidate" Endangered Species

The Fish and Wildlife Service announced last week that the Gunnison sage grouse will become a candidate for Endangered Species Act protection. FWS recognized the need for protection, but was unable to place the bird on the ESA list because of other higher priority threatened species. From now on, regulators will review the status of the Gunnison sage grouse every year, and make listing changes as necessary.

 

Photo Courtesy US Fish and Wildlife Service
The Gunnison sage grouse is restricted in its range to southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, where the bird's sagebrush steppe habitat is in danger. Main threats to the sagebrush come from residential development, wildfires, invasive species, energy development, and livestock grazing.

The FWS estimates the number of Gunnison sage grouse left to be around 4,500. Although the species will remain on the candidate list for now, it was given a priority ranking of 2, meaning the threat to its survival is "imminent". The Gunnison grouse joins the sage grouse on the candidate endangered species list. To read the FWS press release, click here.