The lesser prairie chicken could go from threatened to not threatened to endangered all in a matter of months.
Conservation groups are petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to give the birds endangered status, saying there’s scientific proof the likelihood its extinction is becoming more likely.
Tanya Sanerib at the Center for Biological Diversity — one of the petitioners — said the birds' total population fell from more than 29,000 last year to fewer than 26,000 this year.
"For a year that didn't have drought, that was supposed to be a good year for the birds, to see that dip in population numbers, for us, is a huge cause for concern," Sanerib said.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife revoked the lesser prairie chicken’s threatened status in July in response to a 2014 court ruling the agency didn’t allow state conservation plans adequate time to work. An oil industry group spearheaded a lawsuit joined by five states, including Oklahoma.
Sanerib said those plans miss a key problem.
"Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation is one of the biggest threats to this species, and it's one of the great concerns that voluntary conservation efforts are not addressing," Sanerib said.
The lesser prairie chicken's habitat is prized by Oklahoma wind, gas and oil companies.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife has 90 days to decide whether the petition presents enough information to warrant listing the lesser prairie chicken as endangered. Defenders of Wildlife and WildEarth Guardians are also behind the petition.
