Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge

Transcription

(Music) >> THIS IS THE ATTWATER PRAIRIE CHICKEN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. AND FOLKS HAVE SHOWN UP AT THE ANNUAL ATTWATER'S PRAIRIE CHICKEN FESTIVAL, FOR A RARE GLIMPSE AT ONE OF THE MOST ENDANGERED BIRDS IN NORTH AMERICA. >> AND I'VE GOT EM IN THE SCOPE NOW! (Attwater's prairie chicken) >> OH HE'S GOT HIS TUFTS ERECT; HE'S GOING INTO HIS DANCE, AH FANTASTIC! (Attwater's prairie chicken) >> OVER A CENTURY AGO THE COASTAL PRAIRIES OF TEXAS AND LOUISIANA WERE HOME TO ALMOST A MILLION ATTWATER'S PRAIRIE CHICKENS. BUT AS THE HABITAT TURNED FARMLAND AND HOUSTON GREW, THE COASTAL PRAIRIE SHRANK, NOW LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF PRISTINE COASTAL PRAIRIE IS LEFT AND THIS REFUGE IS ONE OF THE ATTWATER'S LAST STRONGHOLDS. >> IT'S BEEN TEETERING RIGHT ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION. OVER THE LAST 15 TO 20 YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN FEWER THAN 100 INDIVIDUALS IN WILD POPULATIONS AND FOR A SPECIES THAT ONLY LIVES ON AVERAGE TWO YEARS, A VERY BAD PLACE TO BE. >> YA KNOW THERE ARE ENDANGERED SPECIES ALL OVER THE REST OF THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD, BUT THIS ONE HERE LIVES ONLY IN TEXAS AND IT'S PART OF THE NATURAL HERITAGE OF TEXANS. (Beeps of radio transmitter) >> WE JUST FOUND A NEST, IT'S THE FOURTH NEST WE'VE FOUND THIS SEASON. SHE'S EXTREMELY WELL HIDDEN SHE'S IN VERY DENSE COVER, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING, THAT MEANS HOPEFULLY PREDATORS WON'T SEE HER EITHER. (Metal clanging) >> WITH SOME REBAR AND SOME METAL FENCING. THE TEAM IS HERE TO SET UP WHAT THEY CALL A PREDATOR DETERRENT FENCE TO PROTECT THAT NESTING FEMALE. >> THE PREDATORS ARE MOVING THROUGH THE GRASSLAND, THE IDEA OF THIS PREDATOR DETERRENT FENCE IS TO DEFLECT PREDATORS AWAY FROM THE NEST AREA, SO THAT HOPEFULLY THEY WON'T FIND THE NEST AND DESTROY IT! >> GOT IT! >> THE FENCE DOUBLES THE CHANCES OF SURVIVAL FOR THE MOTHER AND HER BROOD OF CHICKS. >> YOU DO KINDA KEEP IN MIND THAT YA KNOW THE WHOLE TIME YOU'RE WORKING, THERE'S A BIRD THAT'S IN THERE STRUGGLING FOR SURVIVAL BASICALLY. SO YOU WANNA BUILD A FENCE THAT'S GONNA HOPEFULLY WORK AND GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT BETTER CHANCE AT SURVIVING. (Hammering rebar) >> THERE'S WORD THAT ONE OF THE FEMALE'S NESTS... >> SO WHERE WAS THAT EXACTLY? >> ...HAS BEEN DESTROYED. >> OH MAN WE GOT, WE GOT EGG SHELLS AND THE NEST BOWLS BEEN DISTURBED, SO IT'S BEEN PREDATED. >> OH YEAH THE EGG SHELLS EVERYWHERE. >> SOMETHING'S REALLY, REALLY DUG IT UP. >> UH! >> SHE PUT UP A GOOD FIGHT THOUGH. >> YEAH, LITTLE FEATHERS EVERYWHERE, POOR THING! (Prairie Chicken calls) >> TO HELP THE MOMS AND THESE NEWLY HATCHED CHICKS THAT ARE JUST TWO WEEKS OLD. >> GO AHEAD AND CLEAN THE PANS. >> THE HEN AND CHICKS STAY IN A PROTECTIVE BROOD BOX. AN ENCLOSED REFUGE WITH AN ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET OF VEGGIES AND BUGS. >> AND THERE ARE GRASSHOPPERS, KATYDIDS, BEETLES, BUT MAINLY GRASSHOPPERS, THOSE MAKE REALLY GOOD CHICK FOOD. >> ONCE THE CHICKS HAVE HATCHED CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN SO DRY, THAT THE YOUNG CHICKS ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY FINDING INSECTS TO EAT. JUST CALL OUT THE NUMBER SO WE MAKE SURE WE GET ALL 14. >> THIS BREEDING SEASON SO FAR WE'RE STARTING TO NOTICE THAT IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING A LITTLE BIT DRYER IT'S BEEN VERY WINDY THIS SPRING. >> UGH! >> SO WERE A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THE CHICKS ARE GONNA FAIR. >> THAT SHOULD BE ALL OF EM. >> THE YOUNG CHICKS GET A FINAL WEIGH AS THEIR RELEASE INTO THE WILD IS NOW JUST DAYS AWAY. >> TWENTY-SIX NINE. >> WE LIKE TO WEIGH THEM JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE INDEED, GETTING ENOUGH FOOD AND METABOLIZING IT CORRECTLY AND PUTTING ON WEIGHT. >> ONE MORE, O.K. (Chicks chirping) OK, IT'S TIME FOR EM TO TAKE OFF ON THEIR OWN NOW! >> THEY'VE HAD THEIR TWO WEEKS OF HEAD STARTING AND THEY'RE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD! >> YEP! >> IT'S FUN TO SEE EVERY COUPLE DAYS THEY CHANGE AND THEY GET NOTICEABLY BIGGER. THEY'RE FEATHERS GET MORE OBVIOUS AND COLORFUL! THEY'VE GAINED WEIGHT, THEY'RE LOOKIN HEALTHY. HOPEFULLY THEY'LL HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE. >> WE FEEL GOOD, WE'VE GOT THEM HERE TO THIS POINT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE A LITTLE ANXIOUS AS WELL. >> I HOPE THEY CAN DO IT! >> THEY'RE REALLY GOING TO HAVE TO BE ON THE BEST OF THEIR GAME IF THEY'RE GONNA MAKE IT TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO REPRODUCE AS WELL. (Music) >> WHILE THESE BIRDS ARE STRUGGLING IN THE WILD. (Attwater's cries) THE TEAM HAS AN ACE UP THEIR SLEEVE. >> HEAD LOOKS GOOD, MOUTH LOOKS GOOD, SO SHE'S GOOD TO GO. (Music) >> SEVERAL FACILITIES RAISE THESE ENDANGERED ATTWATER'S AS PART OF A CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM. >> SHE LOOKS IN GOOD SHAPE, FEATHER CONDITION IS GOOD! ADDING BIRDS FROM THE CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM HAS ALLOWED US TO KEEP BIRDS IN THE WILD, THROUGH THE LAST 10-15 YEARS. O.K. SHE'S READY TO GO! WITHOUT THE CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM, THIS SPECIES UNDOUBTEDLY WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTINCT BY NOW. >> THESE JUVENILE PRAIRIE CHICKENS ARE COLOR BANDED, RADIO COLLARED... >> PRETTY BIRD. >> ...AND READY FOR THE REFUGE. (Prairie chicken chirp) IT'S A LONG JOURNEY TO THEIR NEW HOME. AS THESE CAPTIVE BIRDS ARE FOR NOW THE LIFEBLOOD FOR THIS ENTIRE SPECIES... (Bird flaps feathers) >> O.K. O.K. SHE'S IN GOOD SHAPE! (Bird chirps) >> READY TO ROLL AREN'T YA! >> WORKING WITH AN ENDANGERED SPECIES ESPECIALLY ARGUABLY THE MOST ENDANGERED BIRD IN NORTH AMERICA, YA KNOW IT HAS ITS UPS AND DOWNS, I MEAN SOMETIMES IT'S YA KNOW A LITTLE BIT DISAPPOINTING THINGS DON'T GO QUITE AS WELL AS YOU WANT, BUT IT'S ALSO REWARDING WHEN THINGS DO, SO I THINK EVERYONE WOULD AGREE IT'S WORTH IT. >> DOESN'T SHE LOOK GOOD! >> UH, UH! >> HOW MANY OTHER SPECIES CAN WE WATCH GO EXTINCT BEFORE IT STARTS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE ABILITY OF THE WORLD TO SUPPORT US AS A HUMAN SPECIES AND WE DON'T KNOW THAT ANSWER. (Music) >> AFTER TWO WEEKS OF ACCLIMATING TO THEIR NEW HABITAT, IT'S TIME FOR THESE YOUNG BIRDS TO VENTURE OUT. >> ALL RIGHT YA LITTLE BIRDS, GO BE WILD! >> ALL THIS WORK, THE STRUGGLES THROUGHOUT THE BREEDING SEASON. (Attwater's Prairie Chicken) IT'S UP TO THESE YOUNG ATTWATER'S, TO HELP SAVE THE SPECIES. (Music) >> OH, YEAH SEE FREEDOM, RIGHT THERE! >> WHILE NOT ALL OF THE BIRDS THAT WE RELEASE ARE GONNA SURVIVE, WE KNOW THAT, BUT THOSE THAT DO SURVIVE REPRESENT THE FUTURE, THEIR OFFSPRING HOPEFULLY WILL BE BETTER ABLE TO SURVIVE AND REPRODUCE IN THE WILD ON THEIR OWN. YOU KNOW WE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD THE POPULATION WITH THOSE WILD INDIVIDUALS AND THAT'S WHERE WE PLACE THE HOPE FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE SPECIES.