Tricolored Blackbirds, a species almost exclusive to California, once numbered in the millions, nesting in immense colonies that historically embraced as many as 200,000 nests, the largest breeding colonies of any North American land bird. These colonies produced staggering numbers of young birds in good reproductive years, but close proximity made them vulnerable to catastrophic nesting failures that could decimate their population by thousands of birds when their habitat and feeding areas were compromised.
Today, Tricolored Blackbirds, similar in appearance to the more familiar and widespread Red-winged Blackbirds, are in trouble, their population having plummeted dramatically within the past several years. A survey released in 2014, led by UC Davis in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Audubon California, estimated a total remaining population of 145,000 birds, a drop of 64 percent since 2008 and 44 percent just in the past three years.
Yosemite Area Audubon Society President Lowell Young, a longtime birder, realized his passion for Tricolored Blackbirds eleven years ago when he began participating in Merced County surveys of their population. Seven years later he and his survey team finally saw their first tricolored colony in the survey area—a flock of at least 60,000 birds, he estimates, and he says, “I will never forget the thrill of seeing so many birds at one time.”
The sad post mortem to Lowell’s story transformed his passion for watching them into action to save them. “What happened to that colony of birds and several other events that I experienced during that period of time got my dander up,” he laments.
Lowell will relate that story in describing ACTBAT, a project he launched last year to help avert this species’extinction, in a slide talk, “ACTBAT: Working Together to Save a Species,”at the November program of the Yosemite Area Audubon Society. His presentation will be held Thursday, November 12, at the Oakhurst Methodist Church on Road 426 in Oakhurst beginning at 7:00 p.m.
As their favored wetland and native grassland habitats have surrendered to urban development and agricultural conversions, many Tricolored Blackbirds have adapted by roosting and nesting in some crops, mostly cereal grain and dairy silage fields, where some of the largest colonies today occur. Often, unfortunately, the grain is harvested before the nesting cycle is completed, killing thousands of chicks and eggs and causing a nesting collapse.
"Literally, in the span of 10 minutes, 10 percent of the global population of this bird can be wiped out," said Daniela Ogden, a spokeswoman for Audubon California.
Witnessing such a stunning population failure kindled Lowell’s activist streak, prompting him to organize an aggressive, collaborative effort with Tricolored Blackbird experts to reverse that trend and help prevent the birds’disappearance. Audubon California, the state affiliate of the National Audubon Society, has embraced Lowell’s initiative, now called the Audubon Chapters Tricolored Blackbird Action Team (ACTBAT), and it is now a statewide project.
Lowell’s slide talk November 12 will describe the goals, scope, strategies and accomplishments of the project, which pays farmers to protect Tricolored Blackbird nesting colonies and to restore and enhance former and potential habitat sites. His presentation will also highlight the status of local populations, where to find them, their ecological importance and what people can do--and are doing--to preserve them.
A native of Salt Lake City, Lowell moved to California in 1955 and to Mariposa in 1986 after living for ten years in Tuolumne County. Following a long career as an independent businessman in the insurance, construction, real estate, mortgage and self-storage industries, he is now retired—but only as a business owner, not as an environmental, political and social activist.
As the Yosemite Area Audubon Society president, Lowell is impressively active in Audubon both locally and at the state level. A lifelong environmental advocate, he received the National Audubon Society’s Charles H. Callison award in 2013 as the Audubon volunteer of the year in recognition of his leadership in YAAS achievements. Last year, Point Blue Conservation Science similarly honored him as its citizen scientist of the year.
Lowell’s resume also includes having founded the Mariposa County Economic Development Corporation and serving as president of the Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce. He has long been active in Kiwanis International and the Democratic Party at both local and state levels.
Like all YAAS programs, Young’s presentation November 12 is open and free to the public, although donations to defray program costs and to support the chapter’s local activities are appreciated.
(Tricolored Blackbirds pictured above: photo credit Linda Pittman)
YAAS will also lead a Tuesday Trek field trip Tuesday, November 17, to the Santa Fe Grade in Merced County. Participants should meet at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds at 7:30 a.m. to carpool. The trip is free and the public welcome. Visit yosemiteaudubon.org for additional details.
The YAAS website also posts the dates and contact information about the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Counts in the central foothills/Central Valley area scheduled in December and early January. Participation is open to all, regardless of experience.
Call (209) 742-5579 or (209) 966-2547 or visit yosemiteaudubon.org for additional information about either the program or the field trip.
Article contributed by Len McKenzie
