Florida grasshopper sparrows now producing chicks
Scientists have long feared the Florida grasshopper sparrow would be the next bird to go extinct in North America. Now, though, scores of birds, bred in captivity and released into the grasslands of Central Florida, have started producing chicks that researchers hope will be the key to the species survival.
The population of the grasshopper sparrow had dwindled to just 30 breeding pairs when a coalition of nonprofit and government agencies forged a plan to rebuild the population with captive breeding.
Scientists experimented with different breeding techniques before hitting on a formula that placed the birds in roomy cages, raised by their parents and surrounded by fields. About 150 young sparrows were released in batches over the past year in hopes theyd be ready to mate this spring.
For weeks, researchers have been patrolling a grassy prairie south of Orlando, monitoring the birds to see if they could survive in the wild. The sparrows went right to work finding mates, building nests and are now raising the first chicks of the season.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/florida-grasshopper-sparrows-now-producing-chicks/2020/05/22/94091cb8-9b8d-11ea-ad09-8da7ec214672_story.html