CONSERVATION NOTES 



Protecting Our 



Endangered Birds 



Twelve valuable and interesting birds have disappeared 

 from America in the less than 200 years of its existence 

 as a Nation--the Great Auk, Passenger Pigeon, Heath Hen, 

 Labrador Duck, and Carolina Parakeet, to name a few. 

 Still others are endangered and may vanish within a few 

 years. This is a matter of grave concern to the Federal 

 Government. The Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife 

 is working in close cooperation with the States and private 

 conservation agencies to do what can be done to stem this 

 tide of extinction. 



What Causes an Animal to Disappear? 



Whenever a species is reduced to a small number of 

 individuals it is in danger of extinction; a catastrophe such 

 as destruction of important habitat, a severe winter, an 

 outbreak of disease, or excessive shooting, can easily 

 wipe it out. In America, a number of species were greatly 

 reduced or destroyed during settlement of the country. The 

 building of cities, roads, dams, draining of marshes, and 

 cultivation of large areas literally pushed many species 

 from their homes. During the 19th century, market- 

 hunters, killing thousands of birds for feathers and meat, 

 destroyed or nearly destroyed some species before the 

 American people realized what was happening. 



Today, the drainage of vast marshes and thousands of 

 potholes throughout the country is destroying habitat es- 

 sential to certain wildlife species. These wetlands are 

 sorely needed by our waterfowl, shorebirds, and many 

 other birds and fur animals. 



Pollution is another problem facing us today. Sewage 

 from our cities and wastes from our factories, mines, and 

 ships, are turning many of our lakes and streams into 

 open sewers. 



Some Endangered Birds 



Several American birds are in immediate danger of dis- 

 appearing: the Eskimo Curlew, Ivory-billed Woodpecker, 

 Whooping Crane, Attwater's Prairie Chicken, Everglade 

 Kite, California Condor, and Nene or Hawaiian Goos^. 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

 Stewart L. Udall, Secretary 

 FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Passenger Pigeon 



Heath Hen 



