According to this story that appeared in a recent edition (November 9th) of the Oregonian newspaper, they do. The streaked horned lark, a bird that is indigenous in the Pacific Northwest, has been proposed for listing as a threatened species under the protections of the Endangered Species Act.
Here’s a link to the article:
But an interesting passage in the article caught my attention:
The Willamette Valley’s contingent, perhaps 900 to 1,300 birds, appears relatively stable, largely due to farms, says Hannah Anderson, with the Center for Natural Lands Management in Olympia, Wash. Farming can destroy nesting grounds. But it keeps out shopping malls and subdivisions and gives the birds a place to winter.
“If there were not grass seed and Christmas tree farms in the Willamette Valley,” Anderson says, “there may not be (streaked horned) larks.”
This news follows a story in the recent past that suggested that grass seed fields in the valley are also good fish habitat.
Who knew?
