Protect the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo from Extinction!
Yellow-billed Cuckoos (Coccyzus americanus occidentalis) can only be found in a fraction of their former range in the American West, a decline linked to the loss of over 90 percent of their breeding habitat—the cottonwood and willow forests that once lined the banks of western rivers.
To help this struggling species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recently added the western population of Yellow-billed Cuckoos to the "threatened" list of species under the Endangered Species Act. To go hand-in-hand with the listing, FWS is proposing to designate more than half a million acres of critical habitat for the cuckoos, to protect it from development.
Take action today to to support Fish and Wildlife Service's efforts to protect the western Yellow-billed Cuckoo from extinction. If you have personally participated in efforts to protect Yellow-billed Cuckoos such as volunteering at Important Bird Areas or helping with bird surveys, please be sure to note that in your comments.
To whom it may concern: Thank you for recently listing the western population of Yellow-billed Cuckoo as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service analysis shows, this species has suffered a dramatic decline in the West as a result of the loss of its breeding habitat. That is why I also write to you in support of your proposed critical habitat designation for this threatened bird. Human interventions and impacts, including dams, water diversions, off-road vehicles, ground water pumping and other development, are jeopardizing the continued existence of this species in the western United States. In the arid West, where these birds were once common, documented breeding habitat loss is over ninety percent in comparison with a half-century ago. Extended drought and predicted climate change further jeopardize the western population of this species and add to the justifications for its listing and designation of critical habitat. This charismatic bird that winters in South America and nests along rivers and streams in the western U.S. needs our help to stabilize its populations. By designating critical habitat for the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, we can better incentivize the land and water management practices that will help the bird recover and have a fighting chance at survival. Thank you for your consideration of these comments and for listing the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Please also designate critical habitat for this river loving bird of the West. [Your comments here] Sincerely, [Your name here]
