Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
(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.