Audubon lists birds whose numbers are falling

By Timothy Pratt

Monday, Nov. 4, 2002 | 10:55 a.m.

A small, tawny bird hopped across the path at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve just after sunrise, then quickly vanished into the thick quail brush.

An Abert's towhee, it is one of 200 birds recently named to the National Audubon Society's list of birds in trouble or in decline, 24 of which spend at least part of the year in Southern Nevada. Besides the preserve, many can be seen in various parks and even neighborhood back yards.

The Audubon list is a mix of birds facing differing challenges, said Don McIvor, who took the newly created job of Audubon's director of bird conservation for Nevada last year.

Some are already on the federal government's radar as species in danger of extinction, while others are facing less severe threats. The idea behind issuing the list is to encourage people to learn about the birds and help guide policy to minimize danger to their habitats, said McIvor, who works out of Carson City.

"By the time most species get on the endangered list, they're nearly hanging by a thread," he said.

"So Audubon's list is intended to try and head off getting to this point ... by raising awareness about the birds."

McIvor also works on identifying areas statewide where bird habitats are already in place and can be easily maintained, so that officials can keep these areas in mind when planning growth. The Las Vegas Wash is an example, he said.

John Hiatt, conservation director for the Red Rock Audubon Society, works locally to draw attention to the birds on the list.

"Virtually every bird can tell us a message about the environment," said Hiatt, shortly after the Abert's towhee had left the sight of his binoculars at the preserve.

The two dozen-plus birds on the list that are found statewide appear to have warnings about several types of habitats in the Las Vegas Valley, Hiatt said.

The towhee, for example, is a bird whose entire population lives in small swatches of Arizona, Nevada and Southern California -- home to some of the nation's fastest-growing cities. It favors dense shrubs or trees near water, and as the cities grow and riparian habitats are broken up or damaged, the sparrow's population dwindles.

Then there's the Willow flycatcher. As its name suggests, this bird depends on willow trees, as well as cottonwoods, for nesting and feeding. Both trees grow near water.

In Nevada and neighboring states this bird's population has been pushed down over time, causing a Western subspecies to be considered endangered since 1995. The chief threats it faces are ongoing changes to the Colorado River -- including its dams -- and the spread of a non-native tree called salt cedar, which is pushing out willows and cottonwoods.

The tree's feathery, tiny leaves give it a delicate appearance that have made it a favorite for homeowners since it was first brought from Asia to Arizona about a century ago. But those leaves wreak havoc on other plants when they fall to the ground, since they are naturally salty and change the soil around them.

The spread of the salt cedar offers a message about the dangers of introducing species to an area, Hiatt said. "We like a plant like this for our back yard, but then it doesn't stay there and proliferates wildly, since the natural enemies did not come with it to its new home."

One way of raising awareness about the birds on Audubon's list is helping residents spot them, McIvor said.

Perhaps the easiest bird to see on the list is also among the smallest -- the Rufous hummingbird, which is common in Clark County back yards with feeders from mid- to late summer, he said.

The brightly colored bird is in decline, possibly due to loss of habitat and pesticide use, according to the Audubon Society's list.

Another bird that can be seen locally is the Lewis' woodpecker, found around Lake Mead wherever there are cottonwoods. It has seen a 60 percent population decline during the past 40 years due to some of the same threats faced by the Rufous hummingbird.

Apart from getting to know some of the birds on Audubon's list, what can the average person do for them?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends creating backyard habitats, which includes planting native plants that bear berries or attract insects. Bird feeders, bird baths and ponds also attract birds. Controlling weeds without pesticides, or with low-impact pesticides, helps reduce a common threat to many birds.

A survey recently released by the service shows that 545,000 people spent their time in Nevada observing, feeding or photographing wildlife in 2001 -- including birds. They spent more than $250 million on these activities, a sizable contribution to the state's economy.

"The average person can do a lot to get to know the birds around them," Hiatt said.

"And then we have to make a decision collectively about whether we want any of this wildlife, and do we want to live as part of nature, or apart from nature. Most people are not aware they have a choice."