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[Jim Mueller] We’re at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife
Refuge where we have the endangered Black-capped Vireo, and here we’re studying their reproductive
success.
{Chicks cry for parents}
[Jim Mueller] This species builds its nest about three to
four feet off the ground in shrubs or small trees. The nests typically have three to four
young in them. These chicks are about two days old, their totally reliant on their parents.
{Chicks cry for parents}
[Jim Mueller] Here you can see both birds at the nest, you
can see they look a little different. The mom has a grey cap, the dad has dark black
cap, hence the name Black-capped Vireo.
[Jim Mueller] This is something people may find gross, but
the chicks produce their poop in a little sack it’s kinda like a diaper with the poop
in it. Both parents will either eat the sack or carry it away from the nest and dispose
of it to keep the nest clean.
{Chicks cry for parents}
[Jim Mueller] These chicks will grow about eight hundred
percent over the course of the next ten to twelve days before they fledge. Under optimum
conditions they’ll continue to breed throughout the summer, and if everything works out they
can actually produce up to two successful broods in one year.
{Cicadas call}
[Jim Mueller] This species is endangered but we are creating
a lot of habitat on the refuge and elsewhere. And with continued success we may see that
this species recovers and is able to be taken off the endangered species list sometime in
the future.