Pinyon jay native to New Mexico's piñon forests could be protected from extinction

A struggling bird native to the Chihuahuan Desert and forests of southeast New Mexico could see protections as the federal government said its plight could warrant action to save the species from extinction.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to review the pinyon jay’s status under the Endangered Species Act, meaning it could be listed as endangered of threatened following federal research.

An endangered listing means the agency believes the bird’s extinction was imminent and would call of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a recovery plan while setting aside lands from as “critical habitat” where the jay could recover.

More: Checkerspot butterfly recovery could mean setting aside lands in Lincoln National Forest

“We will fully evaluate these potential threats during our 12-month status review, pursuant to the Act’s requirement to review the best available scientific and commercial information when making that finding,” read the announcement from the Service.

The announcement came Wednesday in response to a petition from Defenders of Wildlife, a national conservation non-profit group that called for a listing in April 2022.

“This decision moves us one step closer to reversing the trend of one of the fastest declining birds in North America,” said Peggy Darr, New Mexico representative with Defenders of Wildlife. “Without pinyon jays, we stand to lose iconic Southwestern landscapes, cultures and cuisines intimately tied to piñon pine nuts.”

More: Dunes sagebrush lizard proposed as endangered species amid threats from oil and gas

After the Service found the petition offered adequate reasoning to consider the listing, it will now conduct a 12-month review of the species.

A report from Defenders of Wildlife showed the pinyon jay’s population in 13 states of the American West had declined 85 percent, with half of the remaining population expected to be lost by 2035.

Of the global population of 770,000 birds, about 220,000 or 29 percent survive in New Mexico, the petition read – the most of any state in the bird’s range.

More: Congress votes to cut protections for lesser prairie chicken nearly extinct in New Mexico

Nevada had 28 percent of the global population, the petition read, meaning the two states had more than half of all remaining pinyon jays in the U.S.

“Even considering uncertainty in population estimation, these population estimates suggest that New Mexico and Nevada are the most important states for Pinyon Jay population and conservation,” read the petition.

Other states with population were Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and South Dakota.

More: Rare Pecos River fish included in federal settlement. Protections could come next year

About 5,600 birds were identified in the Chihuahuan Desert, read the petition, with other populations found in Gila National Forest and in northwestern New Mexico’s Four Corners region.

Climate change, meaning increased heat and dryness, was a lead threat to the pinyon jay throughout its New Mexico range, read the petition, impact the piñon pine trees the bird feeds on and the piñon -juniper woodlands where it dwells.

“Drought and increased temperatures also reduce vigor and increase mortality of piñon trees, which can severely reduce suitability of nesting habitat,” the petition read. “Climate change represents a significant manmade threat to piñon and juniper species that will increase the likelihood of the Pinyon Jay extinction.”

More: Lesser prairie chicken could see protections via renewable energy projects in New Mexico

Forest management tactics, removing large amounts of piñon pine trees to reduce wildfire risk also removed much of the pinyon jay’s habitat, the petition argued.

“Climate change, which is causing reduced fecundity, recruitment, and vigor of piñon and juniper, exacerbates the effect of human destruction of Pinyon Jay habitat,” read the petition.

The bird’s feeding facilitates piñon tree growth, as the jay is known to bury seeds for storage but does not recover all of them, allowing the seeds to germinate and grow more trees.

More: Feds sued over 'inaction' to protect Peñasco least chipmunk from extinction in New Mexico

Defenders of Wildlife argued without pinyon jays, the iconic piñon pine trees could also go extinct.

“If we lose one, we lose the other,” Darr said. “If we lose pinyon jays, we erase from our Earth a species that has evolved to be one of the most genetically distinct and ecologically important species in North America.”

Brian Bird, Defenders of Wildlife southwest program director said that while the decision to evaluate the species for a listing came well beyond the 90-day deadline, under the ESA, it would increase attention to a species the plight of which he said had so far been ignored.

“This charismatic bird will now receive the full attention of the federal government,” Bird said.

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Pinyon jay native to New Mexico forests could be protected by feds