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A Bird On The Brink

Less than a hundred years ago, one million Attwater's Prairie Chickens ranged over six million acres of coastal prairie in Texas and Southwestern Louisiana. Today, less than one-percent of the original coastal prairie remains. As development eradicated this fragile habitat, the native species followed. Today a mere 50 birds live in the wild.

In 1992, as part of a comprehensive recovery plan for the species, we initiated a captive breeding program at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. This work has been crucial in preventing the Attwater's extinction.

Project Objectives
We hope to upgrade our facilities to be able to release over 200 birds each year. Ultimately, the Federal Recovery Plan aims to have a self-sustaining population of at least 5000 Attwater's in three geographic locations. Through combined efforts of government agencies, conservation organizations, and private landowners, coastal prairie habitat is becoming available to support these birds.

Over the past decade, the managed captive breeding program for the Attwater's has grown to include participation by five additional zoological facilities, and Texas A&M University. Within four years, the program had not only established a self-sustaining population of Attwater's, but was by 1995 producing birds for release to supplement the wild population. Over the past three years, an average of 92 birds have been released annually. Releasing 90 birds annually will do no more than maintain the wild population of 50 birds. If the species is going to recover in the wild, it will do so only through the continued supplemental release of birds from the captive program.