20230918_04-Species_report

INC resource list
This report is an automatically generated list of species and other resources such as critical habitat
ice (collectively referred to as trust resources) under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's(USFWS)jurisdiction
that are known or expected to be on or near the project area referenced below.The list may also
include trust resources that occur outside of the project area, but that could potentially be directly or
indirectly affected by activities in the project area. However,determining the likelihood and extent of
effects a project may have on trust resources typically requires gathering additional site-specific(e.g.,
vegetation/species surveys)and project-specific(e.g.,magnitude and timing of proposed activities)
information. Below is a summary of the project information you provided and contact information for
the USFWS office(s)with jurisdiction in the defined project area. Please read the introduction to each
section that follows(Endangered Species, Migratory Birds,USFWS Facilities,and NWI Wetlands)for
additional information applicable to the trust resources addressed in that section.
Location
Mitchell County, North Carolina
41
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Endangered species
Listed species and their critical habitats are managed by the Ecological Services Program of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS)and the fisheries division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration(NOAA Fisheries).
Additional information on endangered species data is provided below.
The following species are potentially affected by activities in this location:
Mammals
Myotis grisescens Gray Bat
Myotis septentrionalis Northern Long-eared Bat
Perimyotis subflavus Tricolored Bat
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Reptiles
RIn
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Glyptemys muhlenbergii Bog Turtle
Clams
• No photo available
Alasmidonta raveneliana Appalachian Elktoe
Insects
Candidate
Danaus plexippus Monarch Butterfly
Flowering Plants
• No photo available
Threatened
Spiraea virginiana Virginia Spiraea
Lichens
• No photo available
Gymnoderma lineare Rock Gnome Lichen

Critical habitats
Potential effects to critical habitat(s) in this location must be analyzed along with the
endangered species themselves.
There are no critical habitats at this location.
Facilities
National Wildlife Refuge lands
Any activity proposed on lands managed by the National Wildlife Refugee system must
undergo a 'Compatibility Determination' conducted by the Refuge. Please contact the
individual Refuges to discuss any questions or concerns.
There are no refuge lands at this location.
Fish hatcheries
There are no fish hatcheries at this location.
Wetlands in the National Wetlands Inventory(NWI)
Impacts to NWI wetlands and other aquatic habitats may be subject to regulation under
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, or other state/Federal statutes.
For more information please contact the Regulatory Program of the local U.s.Army Corps
of Engineers District.
This location did not intersect any wetlands mapped by NWI.

Gray Bat
The Gray bat(Myotis grisescens) is listed as in ECOS as being endangered (wherever found),but is not
listed as being in or believed to be in Mitchell County.
In 2004 Gray bat populations were estimated to have reached 3.4 million from a 1980 population of 1.6
million. 95%of the gray bat population only roost in 11 known caves. The Gray bat roost in mainly in
caves and no caves are known to be present on the Olerud Mine site.

U.S.Fish&Wildlife Service
ECOS
ECOS 1
Gray bat (Myotisgrisescens)
Rance Information ICandidate Info IFederal Reeiste IRecovery (Critical Habitat Isle IConservatioo
EL= IPetitions IBjQLQgical O inn ions I Lifej-ife History
Taxonomy: View taxonomy in IT1S
Listing Status: Endangered
Where Listed:WHEREVER FOUND
General Information
Long,glossy fur,light brown to brown.Ears dark usually black;longer than in any other myods;when laid forward extend 1/4 cm(7 mm)
beyond nose.Tragus long and thin.Celcar keeled.
The species historical range Included Alabama,Arkansas,Florida,Georgia,Illinois,Indiana,Kansas,
Kentucky,Missouri,Oklahoma,Tennessee,Virginia,West Virginia.See below for information about where
the species is known or believed to occur.
Current Listing Status Summary
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Status Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
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n, Range Information
Current Range
O ; (q Last Updared.01-17.2022-Wheneertbund
Zoom ini Some species'locations may be small and hard to see from a wide perspective.To narrow-In on locations,check the state and
county lists(below)and then use the zoom tool.
Want the FWS's current range for all species?Click here to download a zip file containing all individual shapefiles and metadata for all
species.
*For consultation needs do not use only this current range map,please use IPaC.
Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America.The species may also occur
outside this region.
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No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
No Candidate Notice of Review Documents currently available for this species.
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
» Federal Register Documents
Federal Register Documents
Show 10 ,entries
Citation Supporting
Date Page Title Documents
04/26/2019 84 FR 17420 Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews of Six Listed Animal and Plant Species,-mquest fo
17421 information
07/08/2014 79 FR 38560 Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews of Nine Listed Animal and Two Listed Plant Species
38562
\/ 07/26/2011 76 FR 44564 5-Year Status Reviews of Seven Listed SOeties:Notice of initiation of reviews;request for
44566 information
03/30/2006 71 FR 16176 5-year Review of Five Midwestern Species
16177
04/28/1976 41 FR 17736 Determination that Two—Species of Butterflies ar Thr at n d Species and Two Species of
17740 Mammals are Endangered S ep cie&41 FR 17742 17747(Schaus swallowtail:Bahama
swallowtail;Mexican wolf.Canis lupus baf j,*-gEayjZat-tlyotis gd5a5Cens).
04121/1975 40 FR 17590 Lists of Endangered and Threatened Fauna 1D);40 FR 17590 17591
1
Showing 1 to 6 of 6 entries < Previous 1 Next >
» Species Status Assessments (SSAs)
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
No Species Status Assessments(SSA's)are currently available for this species.
Special Rule Publications
No Special Rule Publications currently available for this species.
m Recovery
�� • Species with Recovery Documents Data Explorer
• Recovery Priority Number.8
Current Recovery Plan(s)

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Plan Recovery SSAs/Biological Recovery Implementation
Date Stage Plan Implementation Status Reports Strategies
07/08/1982 Final meat View Implementation
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Other Recovery Documents
Note:This report Includes actual Five Year Review completions and notices as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions and notices.
Showi 10 entries
Date Citation Page Title Document Type
04/26/2019 84 FR 17420 17421 Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews of Six Listed Animal and Plant • Five Year Review Notice,
Soe> Lies;-quest for information Information Solicitation
07/08/2014 79 FR 38560 38562 Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews of Nine Listed Animal and Two • Five Year Review Notice,
Listed Plant Species Information Solicitation
07/26/2011 76 FR 44564 44566 5-Year Status Reviews of Seven Listed Species:Notice of initiation of • Five Year Review Notice,
review ;west for information Information Solicitation
03/30/2006 71 FR 16176 16177 5-Year Review of Five Midwestern Spgpu • Five Year Review Notice,
Showing 1 to 4 of 4 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Five Year Reviews
Note:This report Includes actual Five Year Review completions as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions.
Show 10 v entries
Date Title
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No Delisting Documents currently available for this species.
» Critical Habitat
No Critical Habitat Documents currently available for this species.
» Conservation Plans
Habitat Conservation Plans(HCP)(learn more
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HCP Plan Summaries
i �✓
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» Petitions
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Where
the
species
is
Date believed
Received to or
Petition by the known Petitioner Requested Petition
Title FWS to occur Name Action Findings) Active Petition Documents
Multi- 01/21/2010 AK,AL,AR, Center for APA:Other • 90 day No-Not Cave_oaULQ l Ian 21 2
species of AZ,CA,CO, Biological petition Withdrawn
bats; CT,DC,DE, Diversity- finding
Petition for FL,GA,IA. Mollie Substantial
rulemaking ID,IL,IN, Matteson on
to enact KS,KY,LA, 06/29/2011
immediate MA,MD,
cave ME,MI,MN,
closures to MO,MS,
protect bat MT,NC,ND.
species NE,NH,NJ,
from white- NM,NV,NY,
nose OH,OK,OR,
syndrome; PA,RI,SC,
to SD,TN,TX,
promulgate UT,VA,VT,
a rule WA,WI,WV,
governing WY,
the"take"of Canada,
endangered Mexico
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 entries < Previous 1 Next >
» Biological Opinions
Show 10 v entries
BO . Lead Activity Lead
date Office Title Code Project Type Location Agency Document
08/31/2021 Missouri 553239,Miller 03E74000- TRANSPORTATION Miller(MO) Federal 9in14girdL
Ecological BU 54 at 2019-F- Highway Rendered
Services Field Bagnell Dam 2953 Administration (EbWl 03E1
Office 2021-F-064:
08/05/2021 Missouri Intra-Service 03E14000- Power Gen-Wind- Fish and 8lologLdLC
Ecological Consultation on 2021-F- Onshore Wildlife Service Rendered
Services Field Empire Electric 2374 (fin ) 03E7
Office Research 2021-E-074�
Permit
06/02/2021 Virginia UPC 110520 05E2VA00- TRANSPORTATION Scott(VA) Federal Biological c
Ecological (0023-084-759) 2020-F- Highway Rendered
Services Field 2668 Administration (Final) 05E�
Office 2021-E-116
\miiillo
03/18/2021 Missouri Defiance 03E14000- MINING St.Charles BiologkdLC
Ecological 2021-F- (MO) Rendered
Services Field 0421 .M12W 03E1
Office 2021-E-074i

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To see all Issued Biological Opinions please visit the repQQ
» Life History a
No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.
H Other Resources
Nature5erve Exolorer Soecies Repp=--Nature5erve Explorer is a source For authoritative conservation
information on more than 50,000 plants,animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada.
Nature5erve Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species,but includes
common plants and animals too.Nature5erve Explorer is a product of NatureServe In collaboration with
the Natural Heritage Network.
ITiS ReW=—ITIS(the Integrated Taxonomic Information System)is a source for authoritative taxonomic
Information on plants,animals,fungi,and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library—The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library Is a searchable
collection of selected images,historical artifacts,audio clips,publications,and video."+
V
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ANIMALIA GRAY BAT 4
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating population Referenc
Habits
GRAY BAT
Gray bat
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KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Chordata
SUBPHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Mammalia
ORDER Chiroptera
FAMILY Vesperti lion idae
SUBFAMILY Myotinae
GENUS Myotls

ANIMALIA GRAY BAT
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Population Referent
Habits
The creature once flourished in caves all over the southeastern United States, but
due to human disturbance, gray bat populations declined severely during the early
and mid portion of the 20th century. 95% of gray bats now only roost in 11 caves. M.
grisescens has been listed as federally endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service since 1976, and is protected under the Endangered Species Act. Gray bat
populations were estimated at approximately 2 million bats around the time they
were placed on the Endangered Species list. By the early 1980s populations of gray
bats dropped to 1.6 million. With conservation efforts in place, in 2004, gray bat
populations were estimated to have reached 3.4 million.
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AN I MALIA GRAY BAT Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Population Referenc
Habits
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maturity. Sexual maturity occurs at about age 2. Although an adult gray bat's
forearm measures only about 40-46 mm, Gray bats with forearm lengths of
39.5 mm (approx. 1.55 in) or less cannot fly. The flight speed of the gray bat, M.
grisescens, has been calculated at 20.3 km/h (12.61 mph) during migration. While
foraging, gray bats have been clocked at a flying rate of anywhere between 17 km/h
and 39 km/h.
SHOW MORE
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ANIMALIA GRAY BAT Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating population Referent
Habits
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ANIMALIA GRAY BAT Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating population Referenc
Habits
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Northern Long Eared Bat
The Northern Long Eared Bat(Myotis septentrionalis)is listed as in ECOS as being endangered
(wherever found),and is listed as being in or believed to be in Mitchell County. The Northern Long
Eared Bat population is declining due to white-nose syndrome,a fungal disease known to affect bats and
the predominant threat to this bat, mainly at hibernation sites.
These bats roost in caves and cavities and also in the bark of dying trees,and hibernate in crevices and
mines with high humidity levels. They are found primarily in forested habitats,especially boreal forest
as they like hardwood trees. No Northern Long Eared bats are known to exist at the site to be permitted.

U.S. Fish&Wildlife Service
ECOS
EMS ?
Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) , ;
BMge Information (Candidate Info I Federal Rego M..lReo y Critical Habitat 1559 I Conservation
Plans IPetition IBiologicalOpinions ILife History
c:
Taxonomy: ViewtaxonomvL(n llS "-
Listing Status: Endangered
Where Listed: WHEREVER FOUND
General Information
The northern long-eared bat is a medium-sized bat about 3 to 3.7 inches in length but with a wingspan
of 9 to 10 Inches.As Its name suggests,this bat is distinguished by Its long ears,particularly as
compared to other bats in its genus,Myotis,which are actually bats noted for their small ears(Myotis
means mouse-eared).The northern long-eared bat is found across much of the eastern and north
central United States and all Canadian provinces from the Atlantic coast west to the southern Northwest
Territories and eastern British Columbia.The species range includes 37 states.White-nose syndrome,a fungal disease known to affect
bats,is currently the predominant threat to this bat,especially throughout the Northeast where the species has declined by up to 99
percent from pre-white-nose syndrome levels at many hibernation sites.Although the disease has not yet spread throughout the northern
long-eared bat s entire range(white-nose syndrome is currently found in at least 25 of 37 states where the northern long-eared bat
occurs),it continues to spread.Experts expect that where it spreads,it will have the same impact as seen in the Northeast.
The species historical range included Alabama,Arkansas,Connecticut,Delaware,District of Columbia,
Florida,Georgia,Illinois,Indiana,Iowa,Kansas,Kentucky,Louisiana, Maine,Maryland,Massachusetts,
Michigan,Minnesota,Mississippi,Missouri,Montana, Nebraska,New Hampshire,New Jersey,New York,
North Carolina,North Dakota,Ohio,Oklahoma,Pennsylvania,Rhode Island,South Carolina,South Dakota, J
Tennessee,Vermont Virginia,West Virginia,Wisconsin,Wyoming.See below for information about where
the species is known or believed to occur.
Current Listing Status Summary
Show 10 � entries
Status Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
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n Range Information
Current Range
C2 ,t et Lwr UpdoW...01-05-2023-Wherever found
Zoom inl Some species'locations may be small and hard to see from a wide perspective.To narrow-In on locations,check the state and
county lists(below)and then use the zoom tool.
Want the FWS's current range for all species?Click j=to download a zip file containing all indlvldual shapefiles and metadata for all
species.
*For consultation needs do not use only this current range map,please use IPaC-
Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America.The species may also occur
outside this region.
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Listing status: Endangered
o states/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:Alabama,Arkansas,Connecticut,Delaware,
District of Columbia,Georgia,Illinois,Indiana,Iowa,Kansas,Kentucky,Louisiana,Maine,Maryland,Massachusetts,Michigan,
Minnesota,Mississippi, Missouri,Montana,Nebraska,New Hampshire,New)ersey,New York,North Carolina,North Dakota,Ohio,
Oklahoma,Pennsylvania,Rhode Island,South Carolina,South Dakota,Tennessee,Vermont,Virginia,West Virginia,Wisconsin,
Wyoming
o US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:View All
to USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge
» Candidate information
No Candidate information available for this species.
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
No Candidate Notice of Review Documents currently available for this species.
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
» Federal Register Documents
Federal Register Documents
Show 10 v entries
Citation Supporting
Date Page Title Documents
11/302022 87 FR 73488 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and PIanL:_Endmgered Species Status for • $ ec
73504 Northern Long-Eared Bat Assessme
03/232022 87 FR 16442 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants:EndaDgered Species Status for • Species SI
16452 Northern Long-Eared Bat Assessm
12/23/2020 85 FR 83993 Initiation of 5-Year Status Review for the Northern Long-Eared BaC uest for
83994 information
06/202016 81 FR 39947 Draft Environmental Assessment,Draft Habitat Conservation Plan,and Draft
JMRkM nting Agre=2=Receipt of an ARnllcatlon for an Incidental Take Permit
Wildcat Wind Farm, Madison and Tipton Counties,Indiana
04/27/2016 81 FR 24707 Determination That Designation of Critical Habitat Is Not Prudent for the Northern Long=
24714 Eared Bat:Critical habitat determination.
O1114/2016 81 FR 1900 4(d)Rule for the Northern Lang-Eared Bat;Final rule
1922
04/02/2015 80 FR 17973 Threatened Species Status for the Northern Long-Eared Bat With 4(0)RUIe
1Rn77
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Species Status Assessments (SSAs)
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
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- Document
Document Title Region Species Lead Office Date
Species Status Assessment for Northern Long-eared Bat(Myotis Region 3 Minnesota-Wisconsin Ecological Services 08/01/2t
►
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Special Rule Publications
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Date Citation Page Title
01/14/2016 81 FR 1900 1922 4[d)Rule for the Northern Long-Eared Bat Final rule
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» Recovery
• Species with Recovery Documents Data Ex I re
• Recovery Priority Number..5
No Current Recovery Plans available for this species. `l
Other Recovery Documents
Note:This report includes actual Five Year Review completions and notices as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions and notices.
Show 10 v entries
Date Citation Page Title Document Type
03/23/2022 87 FIR 16442 16452 EndaDgered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, Endo gered • Acts as notice for SYR:Uplis
gpecies Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat Proposed,Endangered
12/23/2020 85 FR 83993 83994 Initiation of 5-Year Status Review for the Northern Long-Eared • Five Year Review Notice,Inf_
Rat'rcnuoct fnr infnrmatinn Gnlirirahinn
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Five Year Reviews
Note:This report includes actual FNe Year Review completions as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions.
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Date Title
11/30/2022 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants:Endangered Species Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat
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No Delisting Documents currently available for this species.
n Critical Habitat
..r
Critical Habitat Documents
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Critical Habitat Documen
Date Citation Page Title Shapefile Type
04/27/2016 81 FIR 24707 24714 Determination That Designation of Critical Habitat Is Not Prudent Not Pri .
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To learn more about critical habitat please see bttpJ/ecos.fws.gov/crithab
n Conservation Plans
Habitat Conservation Plans(HCP)(learn more)
Show 10 v entries
HCP Plan Summaries
Wildcat Wind Farm
Timber Road HCP
5_ygar Creek Wind HCP
Rosewater Wind Farm
Pioneer Trail Wind Farm E.ON
Pennsylvania State Lands Forestry HCP
MSHCP,Columbia Pipeline Group_(Formj&y NiSource)
Missouri Bat HCP
MidAmerican Energy Company HCP
Showing 1 to 10 of 25 entries < Previous 1 2 3 Next >
Petitions
Show to v entries
Where
the
species
Is
Date believed
Received to or
Petition by the known Petitioner Requested Petition
Title FWS to occur Name Action Finding(s) Active Petition Documents

Multi-species of 0121/2010 AK,AL,AR, • Center for • APA:Other • 90 day No-Not • Cave etin tlon IJD_
bats:Petition AZ,CA,CO, Biological petition Withdrawn
,y
for rulemaking CT,DC,DE, Diversity- finding
to enact FL,GA,IA, Mollie Substantial
Immediate cave ID,IL,IN, Matteson on
closures to KS,KY,LA, 06/29/2011
protect bat MA,MD,
species from ME,MI,MN, +
white-nose MO,MS, 7
syndrome;to MT,NC,
promulgate a NO,NE,NH, . -9
rule governing NJ,NM,NV,
the"take"of NY,OH,OK,
endangered bat OR,PA,RI,
species;and to SC,SD,TN,
designate as TX,UT,VA,
significant all VT,WA,WI,
caves on WV,WY,
federal lands in Canada,
the continental Mexico
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 entries < Previous 1 Next >
a Biological Opinions
Show 10 entries
BO Lead Activity Lead
date Office Title Code Project Type Location Agency Document
01/19/2022 Missouri 2019 WSFR 03E14000- Federal Grant Loan Fish and Biological Opinion
Ecological FY20 Missouri 2020-F- Related Wildlife Service Rendered
Services Department 1963 fFEL") 03E14000.2
Field Office of 02379
Conservation
12/202021 West Gauley 05E2WV0o- Forestry-Harvest, Greenbrier Forest Service Bis1vgLQd_Qpinian
Virginia Healthy 2020-F- Forestry-Pesticide (WV), Rendered
Ecological Forest Project 0723 Use,Forestry-Timber Nicholas fflnWl0SE2WV00:
Services Sale,Forestry-Weed (WV), 01162
Field Office Control/Vegetation Webster
Management, (WV)
Forestry-Wildland
Urban Interface(WUI),
Invasive Plant Control,
Veg Management-
Fire
12/02/2021 Ohio ODOT-FAI-33- 03EI5000- Transport-Road/ Ohio BL414gical Opinion
Ecological 03.18(PID 2022-F- Hwy-M/M/R/U- Department of Rendered _
Services 775551 0347 Federal Transnortation (Final) 03E1500D.2
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To see all Issued Biological Opinions please visit the report
u Life History
Habitat Requirements

During summer,northern long-eared bats roost singly or in colonies underneath bark,in cavities,or in
crevices of both live and dead trees.Males and non-reproductive females may also roost in cooler places,
like caves and mines.This bat seems opportunistic in selecting roosts,using tree species based on
suitability to retain bark or provide cavities or crevices.It has also been found,rarely,roosting in structures
like barns and sheds.Northern long-eared bats spend winter hibernating in caves and mines,called
hibernacula.They typically use large caves or mines with large passages and entrances;constant
temperatures;and high humidity with no air currents.Specific areas where they hibernate have very high
humidity,so much so that droplets of water are often seen on their fur.Within hibernacula,surveyors find
them in small crevices or cracks,often with only the nose and ears visible.
Food Habits
Northern long-eared bats emerge at dusk to fly through the understory of forested hillsides and ridges
feeding on moths,flies,leafhoppers,caddisflies,and beetles,which they catch while in flight using
echolocation.This bat also feeds by gleaning motionless insects from vegetation and water surfaces.
Reproductive Strategy
Breeding begins in late summer or early fall when males begin swarming near hibernacula.After
copulation,females store sperm during hibernation until spring,when they emerge from their hibernacula,
ovulate,and the stored sperm fertilizes an egg.This strategy is called delayed fertilization.After
fertilization,pregnant females migrate to summer areas where they roost in small colonies and give birth
to a single pup.Maternity colonies,with young,generally have 30 to 50 bats,although larger maternity
colonies have been observed.Most females within a maternity colony give birth around the same time,
which may occur from late May or early June to late July,depending where the colony is located within the
species range.Young bats start flying by 18 to 21 days after birth.Adult northern long-eared bats can live
up to 19 years.
*Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Rem NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation
information on more than 50,000 plants,animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada.
NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species,but Includes
common plants and animals too.NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with
the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Rep=--ITIS(the Integrated Taxonomic Information System)is a source for authoritative taxonomic
information on plants,animals,fungi,and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library.--The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable
collection of selected images,historical artifacts,audio clips,publications,and video."+

A N I M A L I A MYOTIS SEPTENTRIONALIS
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
3
MYOTIS SEPTENTRIONALIS
Myotis septentrionalis, Northern long-eared bat, Northern myotis
E�3 2languages
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Chordata
SUBPHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Mammalia
ORDER Chiroptera
FAMILY Vespertilionidae
SUBFAMILY Myotinae
GENUS Myotis

A N I M A L I A MYOTIS SEPTENTRIONALIS C.
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
Myoiis seprentrlonalls, Known as Lne norinern long-eareo Dai or norinern myous, Is
a species of bat native to North America. There are no recognized subspecies. The
northern long-eared bat is about 3-3.7 inches in length, with a wingspan of 9-10
inches. It is distinguishable by its long ears when comparing it to other bats in its
genus. This species is commonly found in the northern United States and Southern
Canada east of British Columbia. The geographic range includes 37 states.
octurnal Carni ore Insectivores Terrestrial Polvgynandry
Polygamy Social Colonial Hibernating Migrating
sta-tts with
Appearance
The northern long-eared bat is a small bat, measuring an average of 8.6 cm (3.4 in)
in total length, including a tail about 4 cm (1 .6 in) long. Adults weigh between 5 and

ANIMAL 1 A MYOTIS SEPTENTRIONALIS Q
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Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
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A N I M A L I A MYOTIS SEPTENTRIONALIS Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
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Distribution
Geography
CONTINENTS
North America

A N I M A L I A MYOTIS SEPTENTRIONALIS Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
Northern long-eared bats are found through much of the eastern half of the United
States and Canada from Manitoba and Newfoundland in the north to North Carolina
and Alabama in the south. They are also rarely found in western parts of Canada,
sometimes as far as the western borders of British Columbia and Yukon. They are
found primarily in forested habitats, especially boreal forests, as they typically roost
in hardwood trees during the summer.
Biome

A N 1 M A L 1 A MYOTIS SEPTENTRIONALIS Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
c�a�rcsa
Climate zones
Temperate

A N I M A L I A MYOTIS SEPTENTRIONALIS Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
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Habits and Lifestyle
During the spring and summer, northern long-eared bats spend the day roosting in
trees or artificial structures, switching to a new roost every other day on average.
Roost trees tend to be close together, and within about 600 m (2,000 ft) of areas
suitable for foraging. Males and non-reproductive females roost singly or in small
groups, but reproductive females and their young form much larger maternity
colonies, with up to sixty individuals.
SHOW MORE
LIFESTYLE
Terrestrial,
SEASONAL BEHAVIOR
Hibernating, Migrating

A N I M A L I A MYOTIS SEPTENTRIONALIS Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
DIET Carnivore, Insectivores
Mating Habits
MATING BEHAVIOR Polygynandry, Polygamy
PREGNANCY DURATION 50 to 60 days
BABY CARRYING 1 to 1
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A N I M A L I A MYOTIS SEPTENTRIONALIS 4
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
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POPULATION TREND
Decreasing
POPULATION STATUS
Near Threatened (NT)
D (iD LC NT VU EN CR EW EX
Population
Conservation
The northern long-eared bat is predominantly threatened by white-nose syndrome,
especially in the northeast portion of its range where the population has decreased
by 99%. Due to white-nose syndrome the northern long-eared bat is considered
federally Threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under
section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act. An oversight field hearing was held

ANIMALIA MYOTISSEPTENTRIONALIS Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
Near I hreatened (N I
NE DD l -)C NT S (E:N (CR EW EX
References
1 . Myotis septentrionalis Wikipedia article -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myotis septentrionalis
2. Myotis septentrionalis on The IUCN Red List site -
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/14201/22064312
Included in Lists

Tri-colored bat
The Tricolored bat(Perimyotis subflavus) is listed by the US Fish and Wildlife in the ECOS as Proposed
Endangered (wherever found)and is listed as being in or believed to be in Mitchell County.
The Tricolored bat population is declining due to white-nose syndrome,a fungal disease known to affect
bats and the predominant threat to this bat, mainly at hibernation sites.They roost in road culverts and
hardwood trees and also are found in structures. No Tricolored bats are known to exist at the site to be
permitted.

U.S. Fish&Wildlife Service
ECOS
j:CO5 /
Tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus)
Range Information I Candidate Info I Federal Regj= [Egmvery lCritical Habitat 155A I Conservation
Plans IPetitions 19jpipgical Opinions I Life History
Taxonomy: View taxonomy in ITIS
Listing Status: Proposed Endangered ?" ar
General Information
The tricolored bat is a small insectivorous bat that Is distinguished by its unique tricolored fur and often appears yellowish to nearly orange.
The once common species is wide ranging across the eastern and central United States and portions of southern Canada,Mexico and
Central America.During the winter,tricolored bats are often found in raves and abandoned mines,although in the southern United States,
where raves are sparse,tricolored bats are often found roosting In road-associated culverts where they exhibit shorter torpor bouts and
forage during warm nights.During the spring,summer,and fall,tricolored bats are found in forested habitats where they roost in trees,
primarily among leaves of live or recently dead deciduous hardwood trees,but may also be found in Spanish mass,pine trees,and
occasionally human structures.Tricolored bats face extinction due primarily to the rangewide impacts of white-nose syndrome,a deadly
disease affecting cave-dwelling bats across the continent.White-nose syndrome has caused estimated declines of more than 90 percent in
affected tricolored bat colonies across the majority of the species range.To address the growing threat of white-nose syndrome to the
tricolored bat and other bats across North America,the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service is leading the White-nose Syndrome National
Response Team,a coordinated effort of more than 150 non-governmental organizations,institutions,Tribes,and state and federal
agencies.Together we are conducting critical white-nose syndrome research and developing management strategies to minimize Impacts
of the disease and recover affected bat populations.For more Information on white-nose syndrome,please see:
https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/For more information on tricolored bats,please see:https://www.fws.gov/species/tricolored-bat-
perimyotis-subfiavus
Current Listing Status Summary \�
Show 10 entries
Status Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
F
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries c Previous 1 Next >
»Range Information
Current Range
5A eQ Last Updated.•12-142a22-Whenever found
Zoom in]Some species'locations may be small and hard to see from a wide perspective.To narrow-in on locations,check the state and
county lists(below)and then use the zoom tool.
Want the FWS's current range for all species?Click b=to download a zip file containing all individual shapefiles and metadata for all
species.
*For consultation needs do not use only this current range map,please use jEAC.
Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America.The species may also occur
outside this region.
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• Wherever found
Listing status: Proposed Endangered
o States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:Alabama,Arkansas,Colorado,Connecticut,
Delaware, District of Columbia,Florida,Georgia, Illinois,Indiana,Iowa,Kansas,Kentucky,Louisiana,Maine,Maryland,Massachusetts,
Michigan,Minnesota,Mississippi,Missouri,Nebraska,New Hampshire,New Jersey, New Mexico,New York,North Carolina,North
Dakota,Ohio,Oklahoma,Pennsylvania,Rhode Island,South Carolina,South Dakota,Tennessee,Texas,Vermont,Virginia,West
Virginia,Wisconsin,Wyoming
o US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:View All
o USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:
o Countries in which this population is known to occur:Canada,Guatemala,Honduras,Mexico,United States
» Candidate Information
No Candidate information available for this species.
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
No Candidate Notice of Review Documents currently available for this species.
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
» Federal Register Documents
Federal Register Documents
�..>
Show 10 � entries
Citation Supporting
Date Page Title Documents
09/142022 87 FIR 56381 Endangered Species Status for Tricolored Bat
56393
12/20/2017 82 FIR 60362 90-Day Findings for Five Species,Notification of petition findings and initiation of status
60366 reviews.(Oblong rocksnai I sturgeQnncc yh �_h,sicklefin chub tricolored bat,Venus flytrap,.
r
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 entries < Previous 1 Next >
»Species Status Assessments (SSAs)
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
Show 10 . entries
Document
Document Title Region Species Lead Office Date
Species Status Assessment for the Tricolor._BaUPerim otis Region _5 Pennsylvania Ecological Services Field 12/0120.
1,
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Special Rule Publications

No Special Rule Publications currently available for this species.
»Recovery
• 5oecieswith Recovery.Documents Data EzPig=
V
No Current Recovery Plans available for this species.
No Other Recovery Documents currently available for this species.
No Five Year Reviews currently available for this species.
No Delisting Documents currently available for this species-
* Critical Habitat
No Critical Habitat Documents currently available for this species.
Conservation Plans
Habitat Conservation Plans(HCP)(learn more)
Show 10 entries
HCP Plan Summaries
Missouri Bat HCP
MldAmerican Energy Company HCP
California Ridge Wind Farm
Showing 1 to 4 of 4 entries < Previous 1 Next >
» Petitions
Show 10 entries
Date Where the -
Received species is
Petition by the believed to or Petitioner Requested Petition
Title FWS known to occur Name Action Finding(s) Active Petition Documel
Tricolored 06/16/2016 AL,AR,CO,CT,DC, • Defenders • Listing. • 90 day Yes • Tricolored P
Bat DE,FL,GA,IA,IL,IN, of Wildlife Threatened petition Ap ep ndlr A
(Perimyotis KS,KY,LA,MA,MD, • Center for • APA: finding AMENDED C
subFlavus) ME,MI,MN,MO, Biological Designate Substantial • CRD-and
MS,NC, NO,NE,NH, Diversity Critical on DefendersTi
NJ,NM, NY,OH,OK, Habitat 12/20/2017 Bat Petition
PA,RI,SC,SD,TN, 6.14.16.pdf
TX,VA,VT,WI,WV,
- WY,Canada,
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
*Biological Opinions
No Issued Biological Opinions have been entered into this system for this species.

»Life History
No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.
»Other Resources
NatureServe Expo fer S eceports—NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation
information on more than 50,000 plants,animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada.
NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species,but includes
common plants and animals too.NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with
the Natural Heritage Network.
MS Rep=--ITIS(the Integrated Taxonomic Information System)Is a source for authoritative taxonomic
information on plants,animals,fungi,and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Q gital Media Library—The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable
collection of selected images,historical artifacts,audio clips,publications,and video."+

TRICOLOREDANIMALIA BATzlt
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
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TRICOLORED BAT
Tricolored . .
KINGDOM
PHYLUM Chordata
SUBPHYLUM Vertebrata
ORDERCLASS Marrimalia
. .
FAMILY Vesperti lion idae

A N I M A L I A TRICOLORED BAT Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
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"tricolored bat" derives from the coloration of the hairs on its back, which have three
distinct color bands. It is the smallest bat species in the eastern and midwestern US,
with individuals weighing only4.6-7.9 g (0.16-0.28 oz). This species mates in the fall
before hibernation, though due to sperm storage, females do not become pregnant
until the spring. Young are born helpless, though rapidly develop, flying and foraging
for themselves by four weeks old. It has a relatively long lifespan, and can live nearly
fifteen years.
SHOW MORE
Terrestrial Migrating starts with
Appearance
The tricolored bat has blond fur that is distinctly tricolored on its back. Individual
hairs tricolored: dark gray at the base, buffy (yellowish brown) in the middle, and
brown or reddish brown at the tip. It is the smallest bat species found in the eastern
and midwestern US. Individuals have a forearm length of 31 .4-34.1 mm (1 .24-
1 .34 in) and weigh 4.6-7.9 g (0.16-0.28 oz). Its forearms are reddish, contrasting
sharply with the black membranes of its wings. Its wingspan is 21-26 cm (8.3-
10.2 in). It has a dental formula of 2.1 .2.33.1 .2.3 for a total of 34 teeth.

ANIMALIA TRICOLORED BAT 4
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
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Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
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Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
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Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
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Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
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Distribution
Geography
CONTINENTS
North Arrierica

ANIMALIA TRICOLORED BAT 4
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
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Its range has expanded since the 1980s, with westward expansion reaching the US
states of Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Additionally, its range
started to include the Great Lakes Basin.
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Habits and Lifestyle
During the summer, the tricolored bat will roost in tree foliage or buildings, with
females alone or in maternity colonies of up to thirty individuals. Trees used for this
purpose include oak, maple, the eastern cottonwood, and American tulip tree. Males

ANI MALIA TRICOLORED BAT Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
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been documented on the tricolored bat in Nova Scotia.
SHOW.MORE
LIFESTYLE
Terrestrial,
SEASONAL BEHAVIOR
Migrating,
Diet and Nutrition
The tricolored bat is insectivorous, consuming small prey of 4-10 mm (0.16-0.39 in)
in length. Prey taxa include mosquitoes, beetles, ants, moths, and cicadas. It forages
with slow, erratic flight in areas near water or forest edges. It is one of the first bat
species to begin foraging each night. It navigates and searches for prey via
echolocation (sonar). Its echolocation calls are at a high frequency; visual renderings
of the calls show a distinctive hook-shaped call profile, with the lowest frequencies
(bottom of the hook shape) at 42 kHz.
Mating Habits

ANIMALIA TRICOLORED BAT Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
roost while she forages at night. Offspring develop rapidly, beginning to fly at three
weeks old. By four weeks old, they are foraging for themselves. Young do not reach
sexual maturity in their first fall; they do not breed until their second fall.
SHOW MORE
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Y
POPULATION TREND
Decreasing
POPULATION STATUS
Vulnerable (VU)

ANIMALIA TRICOLORED BAT Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating References Related
Habits Animals
As of 2018, it is listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN. In 2008, however, it was
considered aleast-concern species, which is the IUCN's lowest conservation
priority. In the time between the two assessments, the fungal disease white-nose
syndrome became widespread in eastern North America, severely impacting the
tricolored bat. Historically, it was one of the most common bat species of eastern
North America. After an emergency assessment, the tricolored bat is considered an
endangered species under the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in
Canada as of 2012. In 2016, the Center for Biological Diversity and Defenders of
Wildlife submitted a petition to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
to list the tricolored bat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The USFWS
determined that the petition demonstrated that listing the species as "threatened"
-- or "endangered" may be warranted. As of 2019, the listing consideration was still
under review.
POPULATION TREND
Decreasing
POPULATION STATUS
Vulnerable (VU)
/NE) �DD LC NT VU EN CR EW EX
References
1 . Tricolored bat Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricolored—bat

Bog Turtle
Bog Turtle(Glyptemys muhlenbergii)is listed by the US Fish and Wildlife in the ECOS as Threatened and
Similarity if Appearance(Threatened)and is listed as being in or believed to be in Mitchell County.
The Bog Turtle is small in size,only about 4 inches long when mature and spends most of its time buried
in the mud during the summer feeding on invertebrates and wetland plants and it also hibernates buried
in the mud. They a normally in their habitat at the edge of wooded areas and in cow pastures,near
beaver dams, bogs, marshes or spring seeps. This species should not be affected by permitting the site
due to the habitat requirements.

U.S. Fish&Wildlife Service
ECOS
fCOS �
bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergil) t�
&oge Information I Candidate In I Federal Register I Recovery I Critical Habitat I ZA I Conservation (�
Plans IPetitions Ilig)!?gLr�RIDi4L5ILife Hlstory
Taxonomy: View taxonomy In 1T15
Listing Status: Threatened and Similarity of Appearance (Threatened)
General Information
This is the smallest emydid turtle,and one of the smallest turtles in the world.Adult carapace length is 7.9 to 11.4 cm(3.1 to 4.5 Inches).The
dark brown or black carapace maybe marked with radiating light lines or a light blotch on the vertebral and pleural scutes.Scute annuli are
usually prominent in juvenile and young adult specimens,but the carapace maybe nearly smooth In old adults.The head,neck,and limbs
are typically dark brown with variable reddish to yellow spots and streaks.A large reddish-orange to yellow blotch Is visible behind and
above each tympanum,sometimes merging into a continuous band on the neck.The upperjaw is weakly notched.(Ernst,Lovich,and
Barbour,1994;Hardin&1997)The plastron is also brown or black,but often with lighter yellow blotches towards the medial and anterior
scute edges.A mature male bog turtle has a concave plastron and a long,thick tail,with the vent posterior to the rear edge of the carapace
with tail extended.The female has a Flat plastron and a thinner,smaller tail,with the vent at or beneath the rear carapace edge.(Ernst,
Lovich,and Barbour,1994;Harding,1997)
The species historical range included Connecticut,Delaware,Georgia,Maryland,Massachusetts,New
Jersey,New York,North Carolina,Pennsylvania,South Carolina,Tennessee,Virginia.See below for
information about where the species is known or believed to occur.
Population detail
The following populations are being monitored:bog turtle
Current Listing Status Summary
Show 10 v entries
Date
Status Listed Lead Region Where Listed
Threatened 11-04-1997 Northeast RegIon(R gi4Il Whereverfound,except GA,NC,SC,TN,VA
;zl
Similarity of Appearance 11-04-1997 Southeast Region(REgkm U.S.A.(GA,NC,SC,TN,VA)Additional species .
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 entries < Previous 1 Next >
» Range Information
Current Range
0A GL Last Updated:Oa-f5.3022-Wherever found,except CA Nc,SC TN,VA
Ot W Last Updated.71-13-mm-u.s.A(GA N4 S4 TN,VA)
Zoom inl Some species'locations may be small and hard to see from a wide perspective.To narrow-in on locations,check the state and
county lists(below)and then use the zoom tool.
Want the FWS's current range for all species?Click I1=to download a zip file containing all Individual shapefiles and metadata for all
species.
\w,4 *For consultation needs do not use only this current range map,please use IPaC.
Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America.The species may also occur
outside this region.
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• W erever found,except GA,NC,SC,TN,VA
Listing status: Threatened
o States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:Connecticut Delaware,Maryland,Massachusetts,
New Jersey,New York,Pennsylvania
o US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur.View All
a USFWS Refuges in which this population Is known to occur:Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge,Great Swamp National Wildlife
Refuge,Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
• USA(GA,NC,SC,TN,VA)
Listing status: Similarity of Appearance(Threatened)
o States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur.North Carolina,South Carolina,Tennessee
o US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur.View All
o USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur.
»Candidate Information
No Candidate information available for this species.
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
Candidate Notice of Review Documents
Show 10 - entries
Date Citation Page Title
09/19/1997 62 FR 49398 49397 Review of Plant and Animal Taxa
02/28/1996 61 FR 7597 7613 EIWP:Review of Plant and Animal Taxa That Are Candidates for Listine as Endangered or Threatens
11/15/1994 59 FR 58982 59028 ErWP;Animal Candidate Review for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species,
Showing 1 to 4 of 4 entries < Previous 1 Next >
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
Federal Register Documents
Federal Register Documents
Show. 10 w entries
Citation Supporting
Date Page Title Documents

10/19/2022 87 FR 63468 Enda gered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;90kD -Endings for Four Species Petition
63472 Form
10/15/2021 86 FR 57373 Endda gered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;Technical Corrections for Northeast
57376 Species
08/08/2018 83 FR 39113 Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 19 Northeastern Species
39115
06/08/2011 76 FR 33334 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of Nine
33336 Species:Purple Bean,_Clubshel1 Roanoke Logpatr)-_,Swamp Pink,Northern Riffleshell,Flat-
,5pired Three-toothed Land Snail,Puritan TigeL BeeSLe, Dwarf Wedgemussel, and Bog Turtle
O1/29/2007 72 FR 4018 Initiation of a 5-Year Review of Ten Listed Northeastern Species
4019
11/04/1997 62 FR 59605 ETW * Final Rule to List the Northern Populatlon of the Bog Turtle as Threatened and the
59623 Southern Population as Threatened Due[o Smilaritvy,(ARpearance
09/19/1997 62 FR 49398 Review of Plant and Animal Taxa
49397
1
Showing 1 to 10 of 11 entries < Previous 1 2 Next >
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
Show 10 entries
Documeni
�... Document Title Region Species Lead Office Date
Interim Sp c Status c ccm n Biologica($eport for the Northern Population Regime Asheville Ecological 08/29/2
Showing 1 to i of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Special Rule Publications
Show 10 entries
Date Citation Page Title
11/04/1997 62 FR 59605 59623 EIY`t2:Final Rule to List the Northern Population of the Bog Turtle as Threatened and the Southern P
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
* Recovery
• Species with Recovery Documents Data ExpjgrQr
• Recovery Priority Number:12C
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Show 10 entries
Recovery
Plan Implementation SSAs/Biological Implementation
Date Stage Recovery Plan Status Reports Strategies

05/15/2001 Final Recovery Plan for the Bog View Implementation
►
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
V
Other Recovery Documents
Note:This report Includes actual Five Year Review completions and notices as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions and notices.
Show 10 entries
Date Citation Page Title - Document Type
08/08/2018 83 FIR 39113 39115 Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 19 Northeastern SpgLj" • Five Year Re
Notice,Infix
Solicitation
06/08/2011 76 FR 33334 33336 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants:Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of • Five Year Re
Nine Species:Purpj Bean,_[(ybshejl,Roanoke Logperch,Swamp Pin .Northern Notice,Infoi
RlfFleshell Flat-spired Three-toothed Land Snail,Puritan Tiger Beetle Dwarf Solicitation
ygt)gemussel.and Bog Turtle
01/29/2007 72 FR 4018 4019 Initiation of a 5-Year Review of Ten Listed Northeastern Species • Five Year Re
Notice,Infoi
cnli.irorin
►
Showing 1 to 3 of 3 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Five Year Reviews
Note:This report includes actual Five Year Review completions as well as records that act as Five Year Revew completions.
Show 10 entries
Date . Title
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
No Delisting Documents currently available for this species.
» Critical Habitat
No Critical Habitat Documents currently available for this species.
»Conservation Plans
Habitat Conservation Plans(MCP)(learn more
Show 10 entries
HCP Plan Summaries
Showing i to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
»Petitions
Show 10 entries

Where -the
species
is
Date believed
`/ Received to or
Petition by the known Petitioner Requested Petition
Title FWS to occur Name Action Finding(s) Active Petition Documents
Petition to 01/27/2022 NC,SC,TN • Defenders • Petition No-
Reclassifythe of Wildlife findings Withdrawn
Southern not yet
Population of made
the Bog
Turtle
(Glyptemys
muhlenbergii
)as
Endangered
or
Threatened
Under the
Endangered
Species Act
Petition to 01/13/2022 NC,SC,TN • Centerfor • Listing: • 90 day Yes • 20220113 Bog Turtle
List the Biological Threatened petition Population Petition-
Southern Diversity or finding Biological DiversltvjD
Population of Endangered Substantial
Showing 1 to 3 of 3 entries < Previous 1 Next >
» Biological Opinions
Show 10 entries
BO Lead Activity - Lead
date Office Title Code Project Type Location Agency Document
10/16/2020 Branch of Reinitiation 09E31000- Mining- Office of BiologiSawpinior
National formal 2020-F- Subsurface Surface Mining Rendered
Consultations consultation: 0001 Exploration- (Final) 09E31000-:
OSMRE's Coal,Mining- 00001
regulatory Subsurface
program- Extraction-Coal,
SMCRA TiitleV Mining-
Subsurface
Leasing-Coal,
Mining-
Subsurface
Reclamation-
Coal,Mining-
Surface
Exploration-
Coal,Mining-
Surface
Extraction-Coal,
V..f Mining-Surface
Reclamation-
_ i
Showing 1 to 4 of entries

< Previous 1 Next >
To see all Issued Biological Opinions please visit the rem
P Life History
No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.
»Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Sports_-NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation
Information on more than 50,000 plants,animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada.
NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species,but includes
common plants and animals too.NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with
the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports--ITIS(the Integrated Taxonomic Information System)is a source for authoritative taxonomic
information on plants,animals,fungi,and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library--The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable
collection of selected images,historical artifacts,audio clips,publications,and video."+

ANIMAL 1 A BOG TURTLE
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating HabitsPopulation Facts I
i Ll
Tr9 .
A
BOG TURTLE
Bog turtle
E21 2languages v
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Chordata
SUBPHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Repti lia
ORDER Testudines
SUBORDER Cryptodira
FAMILY Emydidae
GENUS Glyptemys

ANIMALIA BOG TURTLE 4
Mating
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Habits Population Facts
The bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii ) is a critically endangered species of
semiaquatic turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to the eastern
United States. It was first scientifically described in 1801 after an 18th-century survey
of Pennsylvania. The smallest North American turtle, its carapace measures about
10 centimeters (4 in) long when fully grown. Although the bog turtle is similar in
appearance to the painted or spotted turtles, its closest relative is actually the
somewhat larger wood turtle. The bog turtle can be found from Vermont in the
north, south to Georgia, and west to Ohio. Diurnal and secretive, it spends most of its
time buried in mud and - during the winter months - in hibernation. The bog turtle
is omnivorous, feeding mainly on small invertebrates. The bog turtle is the state
reptile of New Jersey.
SHOW MORE
se
Diurna Omnivore Semiaauatic Precocial Burrowing
Te so N ® f.1
Terrtorial Terrestrial Social No-. a migrant Hiber ating
B
starts ith

ANIMALIA BOG TURTLE Q
Mating
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Habits Population Facts
The Bog turtle is a critically endangered semiaquatic turtle native to the eastern
United States. Its head is dark brown to black in color and there is a bright yellow,
orange, or red spot on each side of its neck. The spot is often forked, facing
posteriorly. The Bog turtle has a dark skin color with an orange-red wash on the
inside of the legs of some individuals. The carapace is domed and rectangular in
shape, and it tends to be narrower toward the head and wider toward the tail. The
carapace often has easily identifiable rings on the rough scales or scutes. In some
older individuals and those that burrow frequently in coarse substrates, the shell
may be smooth. Although generally black, a chestnut sunburst pattern in each scute
is sometimes present on the carapace. The belly of the shell, the plastron, is also a
dark brown to black color with light marks present.
r..
Photos with Bog Turtle

ANIMALIA BOG TURTLE 4
Mating
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Habits Population Facts I
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A N I M A L I A BOG TURTLE Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Population Facts I
Habits
Distribution
Geography
CONTINENTS
North America

ANIMALIA BOG TURTLE
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Population Facts I
Habits
Bog turtles are found from Vermont in the north, south to Georgia, and west to
Ohio. They prefer calcareous wetlands (areas containing lime), including meadows,
bogs, marshes, and spring seeps, that have both wet and dry regions. Their habitat
is often on the edge of woods. Bog turtles may occasionally visit cow pastures and
areas near beaver dams.
•
Biome
1'�etl�LIc"S

ANIMALIA BOO TURTLE 4
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating population Facts
Habits
L,LarsL
Swamp
Climate zones
Temperate

ANIMALIA BOG TURTLE 4
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet MatingHabits Population Facts I
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Habits and Lifestyle
Bog turtles are semiaquatic and can move both on land and in the water. They are
primarily diurnal, active during the day, and sleeping at night. They wake in the early
morning, bask until fully warm, and then begin their search for food. During colder
days, Bog turtles spend much of their time in dense underbrush, underwater, or
buried in mud. On warmer days, their activities include scavenging, mating (during
early spring), and basking in the sunlight. However, during times of extreme heat,
Bog turtles usually take shelter from the sun and occasionally may either estivate or
occupy networks of tunnels filled with water. At night, they bury themselves in soft
tunnels. Bog turtles feed only during the day, but rarely during the hottest hours,
consuming their food on land or in the water. Late September to March or April is
usually spent in hibernation, either alone or in small groups in spring seeps. These
groups can contain up to 12 individuals and sometimes can include other species of
turtles. Bog turtles try to find an area of dense soil, such as a strong root system, for
protection during the dormant period. However, they may hibernate in other places
such as the bottom of a tree, animal burrows, or empty spaces in the mud. Bog
turtles emerge from hibernation when the air temperature is between 16 and 31 °C
(61 and 88 °F).

ANIMALIA BOG TURTLE Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Population Facts I
Habits
Diet and Nutrition
Bog turtles are omnivorous creatures. They feed on aquatic plants (such as
duckweed), seeds, berries, earthworms, snails, slugs, insects, other invertebrates,
frogs, and other small vertebrates. Occasionally they may eat carrion.
DIET Omnivore
Mating Habits
REPRODUCTION SEASON spring
PREGNANCY DURATION 45 to 65 days
INCUBATION PERIOD 42-80 days
BABY CARRYING 1 to 6
INDEPENDENT AGE at birth
FEMALE NAME female
MALE NAME male
BABY NAME hatchling

ANIMALIA BOG TURTLE Q
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Habits Population Facts I
produce one clutch per year. Typically, older females lay more eggs than younger
ones. After the eggs are laid, they are incubated for 42 to 80 days. Hatchlings are
about 2.5 centimeters (0.98 in) long when they emerge from their eggs, usually in
late August or September. Females are slightly smaller at birth and tend to grow
more slowly than males.Juveniles almost double in size in their first 4 years but do
not become fully grown until 5 or 6 years old. Both the males and the females
become reproductively mature when they reach between 8 and 11 years of age.
A
tow
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POPULATION STATUS
Critically endangered (CR)

ANIMALIA BOG TURTLE 4
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating population Facts I
Habits
Population tnreats
The major threat to Bog turtles is the loss of their native habitat which has resulted
in the disappearance of 80 percent of the colonies that existed 30 years ago. The
invasion of non-native plants into their habitat is a large threat to Bog turtles'
survival. Such plants out-compete the native species in their habitat, thus reducing
the amount of food and protection. The development of new neighborhoods and
roadways obstructs Bog turtles' movement between wetlands, thus inhibiting the
establishment of new colonies. Pesticides, runoff, and industrial discharge are all
harmful to Bog turtles' habitat and food supply. Because of their rarity, Bog turtles
are also in danger of illegal collection, often for the worldwide pet trade. The eggs
are also vulnerable during the incubation period and often fall prey to mammals and
birds. In addition, eggs may be jeopardized by flooding, frost, or various
developmental problems.
Population number
According to the Defenders of Wildlife resource, the total population size of the Bog
turtle ranges between 2,500 and 10,000 individuals. Currently, this species is
classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List.
Fun Facts for Kids
The Bog turtle is the smallest species of turtle in North America.
Although the Bog turtle is similar in appearance to the Painted or
Spotted turtles, its closest relative is actually the somewhat larger
Wood turtle.

A N I M A L I A BOG TURTLE 4
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Population Facts
Habits
ana raising nis nina limbs. it the otner male Goes not retreat, a tight of
pushing and biting can follow. The bouts typically last just a few
minutes, with the larger and older male usually winning. The females
are also aggressive when threatened. They will defend the area around
their nest, usually up to a radius of 1 .2 meters (3.9 ft), from
encroaching females.
The age of a Bog turtle is determined by counting the number of rings
in a scute, minus the first one (which develops before birth).
The shells of Bog turtles offer little protection from predators so their
main defense when threatened by an animal is to bury themselves in
soft mud. They rarely bite when approached.
Bog turtles are usually active after rainfall. During the day males
typically move from 2.1 to 23 meters (6.9 to 75.5 ft) and females from
1 .1 to 18 meters (3.6 to 59.1 ft).
References
1 . Bog Turtle on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.arg/wiki/Bog—turtle
2. Bog Turtle on The IUCN Red List site -
https://www.iucnredlist.org/si)«�cies/4967/97416755

Appalachian Elktoe
Appalachian Elktoe (Alasmidonta raveneliana)is listed by the US Fish and Wildlife in the ECOS as
Endangered (wherever found)and is listed as being in or believed to be in Mitchell County. A species
search shows it is not present on the proposed mine site but is present in the North Toe River which
flows through the area near the site.
The Appalachian Elktoe is a mussel which has a thin kidney shaped shell about 4" long and lives in fresh
waters. It is believed that this projected mine will have no effect on the Appalachian Elktoe.

U.S.Fish&Wildlife Service
ECOS
ECOS f
Appalachian elktoe (Alasmidonta raveneliana)
Emge Information ICandidate In IFederal Reef fti;gygry I Critical Habitat I55A [Conservation
Plans I Petitions II}igbglcal Opinions I Life History
Taxonomy: View taxonomy ITIS Search gitalmedia.A es on
Y dlgltalmedia.fwsgav
Listing Status: Endangered
Where Listed:WHEREVER FOUND
General Information
The species historical range included North Carolina,Tennessee.See below for information about where
the species is known or believed to occur.
Current Listing Status Summary
Show 10 � entries
Status Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
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u Range Information
Current Range
O! et Last Updated:02-24-2022.wherever found
Zoom in!Some species'locations may be small and hard to see from a wide perspective.To narrow-in on locations,check the state and
county lists(below)and then use the zoom tool.
Want the FWS's current range for all species?Click b=to download a zip file containing all individual shapefiles and metadata for all
species.
*For consultation needs do not use only this current range map,please use!P-aC,
Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America.The species may also occur
outside this region.
Shaft
AVwI ,�i+ 1
sPrW Wrp

Ci$ingsta(us:"@ clangered
o States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:North Carolina,South Carolina,Tennessee
o US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:View All
o USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:
» Candidate Information
No Candidate information available for this species.
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
No Candidate Notice of Review Documents currently available for this species.
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
Federal Register Documents
Federal Register Documents
Show 10 v entries
Citation - Supporting
Date Page Title Documents
07/14/2021 86 FR 37178 Initiation of S-Y ar Status Reviews for 37 Southeastern Species;=uest for Information
37181
03/25/2014 79 FR 16366 Fndangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;5-Year Status Reviews of 33 Southeastern
16368 51Mcies
09/20/2005 70 FR 55157 5-Year Review of 14 Southeastern Species
55158
09/27/2002 67 FR 61016 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants:Designation of Critical Habitat for the
61040 Appalachian Flktoe:Final rule.
05/16/2002 67 FR 34893 EIMj2pSigoating Critical Habitat for the Appalachian Elktoe.-plynoc d-c ule;notice Qf
34894 public hearing@,availability.of draft economic analySiS,and reopening of comment period
for the pmgosed desidesignation of critical habitat for the Appalachian elktoe.
02/08/2001 66 FR 9540 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat
9555 for the Appalachian Elktoe
11/23/1994 59 FR 60324 ET /PN ;ARpala hian Mice Determined To Re an Endangered Spa, dca'
60334
Showing 1 to 8 of 8 entries < Previous 1 Next >
a Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
No Species Status Assessments(SSA's)are currently available for this species.
Special Rule Publications
No Special Rule Publications currently available for this species.
»Recovery
• Species with Recovery Documents Data Explorer
• Recovery Priority Number:5C
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Show 10 v entries

Plan Recovery SSAs/Biological Recovery Implementation
Date Stage Plan Implementation Status Reports Strategies
O8/26/1996 Final Appalachian View Implementation
>
�- Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Other Recovery Documents
Note:This report includes actual Five Year Review completions and notices as well as records that an as Five Year Review completions and notices.
Show' 10 v entries
Date Citation Page Title Document Type
07/14/2021 86 FR 37178 37181 Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 37 Southeastern Species; • Five Year Review Notice, o
gquest for information Information Solicitation
03/25/2014 79 FR 16366 16368 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plant:5-Year Status • Five Year Review Notice,
Reviews of 33 Southeastern Species Information Solicitation
09/20/2005 70 FR 55157 55158 5-Year Review of 14 Southeastern species • Five Year Review Notice,
Showing 1 to 3 of 3 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Five Year Reviews
Note:This report includes actual Five Year Review completions as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions.
Show 10 v entries
Date Title
07/29/2022 Aop;3lachian Flktoe(Alasmldonta ravaneliana)Status Review 2022
O8/28/2017 Appalachian elktoe(Alasmidonta raveneliana)5-Year Review
Showing 1 to 3 of 3 entries < Previous 1 Next >
No Delisting Documents currently available for this species.
»Critical Habitat
Critical Habitat Spatial Extents
Population(s)
12 t tq Wherever found r
- T

'`I ln�ie.... • _ ^ � �< a BVfiTWr9
Critical Habitat Documents
Show 10 v entries
Critical Habitat Documen
Date Citation Page Title Shapefile Type
09/27/2002 67 FR 61016 61040 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;-Designation of Download Final
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
To learn more about critical habitat please see btt^-Vg&Qa 8(5.goVJcrlihab
» Conservation Plans
No Conservation Plans currently available for this species.
» Petitions
No Petitions currently available for this species.
» Biological Opinions
Show 1D entries
SO Lead Activity Project
date Office Title Code Type Location Lead Agency Document
06/25/2019 Asheville 12-065 84823 04EN1000- Bridge-Maint Transylvania Federal Highway gjp)pgir"Pininn R,
Ecological Transylvania Sr. 2012-F-0069 /Mod/ (NC) Administration (F1pal) 04EN1000-20
Services 12 replacement Replace/ 01100
Field Office Upgrade-
Federal
06/25/2019 Asheville 12-065 B-4823 04EN1000- Bridge-Maint Transylvania Federal Highway Biological O inion R,
Ecological Transylvania Br. 2012-F-0069 /Mod/ - (NC) Administration (Amendments 04EN
Services 12 replacement Replace/ 2019-E-01101
Field Office Upgrade-
rjW _ M E ,
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 entries < Previous 1 Next >
To see all Issued Biological Opinions please visit the report
» Life History
No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Rep=--Nature5erve Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation
information on more than 50,000 plants,animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada.
Nature5erve Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species,but includes l
common plants and animals too.Nature5erve Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with
the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reps--ITIS(the Integrated Taxonomic Information System)is a source for authoritative taxonomic
information on plants,animals,fungi,and microbes of North America and the world.

FINS Digital Media Libr ry--The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable
collection of selected images,historical artifacts.audio clips,publications,and video."+
1

A N I M A L I A APPALACHIAN ELKTOE 4
4 2
Description Appearance Distribution Mating References Related languages
Habits Animals
"4L
APPALACHIAN ELKTOE
Appalachian elktoe
E�) 2languages v
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM MOIIUSca
CLASS Bivalvia
ORDER Unionoida
FAMILY Unionidae
GENUS Alasmidonta
SPECIES Alasmidonta raveneliana

A N I M A L I A APPALACHIAN ELKTOE Cl
z
Description Appearance Distribution Mating References Related languages
Habits Animals
Appearance
The Appalachian elktoe has a "thin, kidney-shaped shell, reaching up to about 10
centimeters (4 inches)."
SHOW MORE
Distribution
Geography
CONTINENTS
North America
COUNTRIES
United States
REGIONS
North Carolina, Tennessee
BIOGEOGRAPHICAL REALMS
Nearctic

ANIMALIA APPALACHIAN ELKTOE a
1�3 2 v
Description Appearance Distribution Mating References Related languages
Habits Animals
�IV� Z_�L L-
tIctilanda

ANIMALIA APPALACHIAN ELKTOE Q
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Q1 z
Description Appearance Distribution Mating References Related languages
Habits Animals
lwpppr
R .
Habits and Lifestyle
Diet and Nutrition
Mating Habits

ANIMALIA APPALACHIAN ELKTOE Q
z
Description Appearance Distribution Mating References Related languages
Habits Animals
+ molar s t
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s
POPULATION TREND
Decreasing
POPULATION STATUS
Critically endangered (CR)
000
NE DD LC 00
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Population

ANIMALIA APPALACHIAN ELKTOE Q
(�l 2
Description Appearance Distribution Mating References Related languages
Habits Animals
Uecreasing
POPULATION STATUS
Critically endangered (CR)
NE DD LC NT VU EN CR EWr EX
References
1 . Appalachian elktoe Wikipedia article -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_elktoe
2. Appalachian elktoe on The IUCN Red List site -
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/776/3142501
Included in Lists

Monarch Butterfly
Monarch Butterfly(Danaus plexippus) is not listed by the USFWL but is a candidate for listing.
Monarch Butterfly's are migratory and can travel over 3,000 km taking up to 2 months to reach the
overwintering site.They can live up to 9 months. It is not believed this project will have any adverse on
the monarch butterfly.

U.S.Fish&Wildlife Service
ECOS
ECQ5 /
Monarch butterfly (Danaus p/exippus) ., ." .
$tinge Information I Candidate Info l Federal Re2bf&E l Recovery l Critical Habitat 155A l Conservation
Plans I Petitions lBjWggical Opjo(QLig I Life History
Taxonomy: Yew taxonomy in ITls
Listing Status: Candidate
General information
Note-the monarch is a candidate species and not yet listed or proposed for listing.Consultation with U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act Is not required for candidate
species,like the monarch.We encourage agencies,however,to take advantage of any opportunity they
may have to conserve the species.
For information on monarch conservation,visit https://www.fWs.goWsavethemonarch/,
http://Www.mafWa.orgPpage id=2347,and,for the Wes4 https://wafwa.orgtcommittees-working-
grou ps/mona rch-wo rki ng-g rou p/.
Adult monarch butterflies are large and conspicuous,with bright orange wings surrounded by a black
border and covered with black veins.The black border has a double row of white spots,present on the
upper side of the wings.Adult monarchs are sexually dimorphic,with males having narrower wing venation
and scent patches.The bright coloring of a monarch serves as a warning to predators that eating them can
be toxic.
During the breeding season,monarchs lay their eggs on their obligate milkweed host plant(primarily
Asclepias spp.),and larvae emerge after two to five days.Larvae develop through five larval instars
(intervals between molts)over a period of 9 to 18 days,feeding on milkweed and sequestering toxic
chemicals(cardenolides)as a defense against predators.The larva then pupates Into a chrysalis before
emerging 6 to 14 days later as an adult butterfly.There are multiple generations of monarchs produced
during the breeding season,with most adult butterflies living approximately two to five weeks;
overwintering adults enter into reproductive diapause(suspended reproduction)and live six to nine
months.
In many regions where monarchs are present,monarchs breed year-round.Individual monarchs in
temperate climates,such as eastern and western North America,undergo long-distance migration,and live
for an extended period of time.In the fall,in both eastern and western North America,monarchs begin
migrating to their respective overwintering sites.This migration can take monarchs distances of over 3,000
km and last for over two months.In early spring(February-March),surviving monarchs break diapause and
mate at the overwintering sites before dispersing.The same individuals that undertook the initial
southward migration begin flying back through the breeding grounds and their offspring start the cycle of
generational migration over again.
Current Listing Status Summary
Show io � entries
Status Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
» Range Information_
Current Range
N 4. Q Last updated.•01-2&=22-Whereverfound

Zoom inl Some species'locations may be small and hard to see from a wide perspective.To narrow-In on locations,check the state and
county lists(below)and then use the zoom tool.
Want the FWS's current range for all species?Click b=to download a zip file containing all individual shapeftles and metadata for all
species.
*For consultation needs do not use only this current range map,please use Lear-
Current range maps are only shown within the Jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America.The species may also occur
outside this region.
e
T.
r
�1.
a
• Wherever found
Listingstatus: Candidate
o States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur.Alabama,Arizona,Arkansas,California,Colorado,
Connecticu4 Delaware,District of Columbia,Georgia,Hawaii,Idaho,Illinois,Indiana,Iowa,Kansas,Kentucky,Louisiana,Maine,
Maryland,Massachusetts,Michigan,Minnesota,Mississippi,Missouri,Montana,Nebraska,Nevada,New Hampshire,New Jersey,
New Mexico,New York,North Carolina, North Dakota,Ohio,Oklahoma,Oregon,Pennsylvania,Rhode Island,South Carolina,South
Dakota,Tennessee,Texas,Utah,Vermont,Virginia,Washington,West Virginia,Wisconsin,Wyoming
o US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur.View All
o USFWS Refuges in which this population Is known to occur:
>o Candidate Information
Current Candidate Status
Listing Priority:8
Magnitude:Moderate to Low
Immediacy:Imminent
Taxonomy:Species
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
Candidate Notice of Review Documents
Show 10 v.entries
Date Citation Page • Title
05/03/2022 87 FR 26152 26178 EDdapgered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;Review of Species That Are Candidates for Listing;
EndaDgered or Threatened;Annual Notification of Findings on Resubmitted Petitions;Annual Descril.
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
*Federal Register Documents
Federal Register Documents

Shaw 10 v entries
Citation Supporting
Date Page Title Documents
05/03/2022 87 FR 26152 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;Review of Species That Are Danaus plexil
26178 Candidates for Listing as FndaDgered or Threatened;Annual Notification of Findingg 2022 Candide
on Resubmitted Petitions Annual Description of Progress on listing Actions Assessment
• SpPSQs A�<Q:
Eorm
12/17/2020 85 ER 81813 Ends gered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Finding for the Monarch Species Statu
81822 Butterfly Assessment
Showing 1 to 3 of 3 entries < Previous 1 Next >
n Species Status Assessments (SSAs)
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
Show 10 entries
Document
Document Title Region Species Lead Office Date
Monarsb(Danaus olexippu5)-apecies Status Assessment Repgn, gegion 3 Assistant Regional Director-Ecological 09/01/20
_ __IM 1
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Special Rule Publications
No Special Rule Publications currently available for this species.
n Recovery
• apecies with Recovery.Documents Data Ex LQ t
No Current Recovery Plans available for this species.
No Other Recovery Documents currently available for this species.
No Five Year Reviews currently available for this species.
No Delisting Documents currently available for this species.
» Critical Habitat
No Critical Habitat Documents currently available for this species.
» Conservation Plans
Habitat Conservation Plans(HCP)(learn more)
Show io entries
HCP Plan Summaries

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Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances(CCAA):(learn more
Show 10 entries
CCAA Plan Summaries
r
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»Petitions
Show io v entries
Where the -
Date species is
Received believed to
Petition by the orknownto Petitioner Requested Petition
Title FWS occur Name Action Finding(s) Active Petition Documents
Petition for 11/18/2020 AL,AR,AZ,CA, • The • APA: • Petition Yes • petition for
Rulemaking CO,CT,DC,DE, University Promulgate findings not rulemaking—p
for a Section GA,HI,IA,ID,IL, of Illinois new special yet made for monarch
4(d)Rule for IN,KS,KY,LA, Chicago 4(d)rule butterflv.p_df r
the Monarch MA,MD,ME,MI,
Butterfly MN,MO,MS,
MT,NC,ND,NE,
NH,NJ,NM,NV, f
NY,OH,OK,OR,
PA,RI,SC,SD,
TN,TX,UT,VA,
Vr,WA,WI,WV,
WY
Butterfly, 08/262014 AL,AR,AZ,CA, • Center for • Listing: 90 day Yes • 2014 08 26 Mi
Monarch CO,CT,DC,DE, Food Safety Threatened petition butterfly Petit1S
(Danaus GA,HI,IA,ID,IL, • Madison • APA: finding
plexippus IN,KS,KY,LA, Audubon Designate Substantial
plexippus); MA,MD,ME,MI, Society Critical on
list w/CH MN,MO,MS, (secondary Habitat 12/31/2014
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WIKIPEDIA
Monarch butterfly
The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (Danaus Monarch butterfly
plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the
family n�n hp alidae.fkl Other common names, depending on region,
include milkweed, common tiger,wanderer, and black-veined
brownJ0 It is amongst the most familiar of North American
butterflies and an iconic pollinator,l?1 although it is not an especially
effective pollinator of milkweeds.MW Its wings feature an easily
recognizable black, orange, and white pattern, with a wingspan of
8.9-10.2 cm (3.5-4.0 in)PO) A Miillerian mimic, the viceroy
butterfly, is similar in color and pattern, but is markedly smaller and
has an extra black stripe across each hindwing.
Male �
The eastern North American monarch population is notable for its
annual southward late-summer/autumn instinctive migration from
the northern and central United States and southern Canada to
Florida and Mexico.LS) During the fall migration, monarchs cover
thousands of miles, with a corresponding multigenerational return
north in spring. The western North American population of monarchs '
west of the Rocky Mountains often migrates to sites in southern
California,but individuals have been found in overwintering Mexican
sites, as well.(ii7Al2.) In 2009, monarchs were reared on the I Female
International Space Station, successfully emerging from pupae
located in the station's Commercial Generic Bioprocessing I Conservation status
Apparatus.(13) Extinct Threatened concern
i IJ(EW! CR EN VU NT 4
.
Contents `.
Least Concern(IUC 3.1 N )1�1 (entire
- --- --
species)
Etymology I Least
Extinct Threatened concern
Taxonom
Genome '✓ U O • k5 �
I Endangered(IUCN 3.1�1(Migratory
Life_ycle
Metamorphosis subspecies)
§9Il Scientific classification
Larva
PUPa Kingdom: Animalia
i Adult I Phylum: Arthropoda
Vision I Class: Insecta
i Courtship and mating Order: Lepido_ptera
Distribution and habitat Family: Nymphalidae 1,/
Larval host plants Genus: Danaus
Adult food sources
Species: D.plexippus

Flight and migration I Binomial name
Interactions with redators Danaus plexippus
Types of predators !
(
Aposematism Linnaeu 175 s, 8)
Mimicry
' Human interaction 4
Captive ream
Threats
Western monarch populations Synonyms
Eastern and midwestem monarch_p pulations
Habitat loss due to herbicide use and genetically modified . Papillo plexippus (Linnaeus,
crops'— — 1758)
Losses during.migration
Loss of ov_e_rwintering habitat ! ■ Danaus archippus(Fabricius, i
Parasites 1793)9
Confusion of host plants ■ Danaus menippe (Hubner,
Climate 1816)LI
Conservation status i . Anosia plexippus(Dyar, 1903)
Conservation efforts
Federal actions
Other actions
National lCooperat ve Highway Research Program report
Butterfly gardening
See also
References
External links
Etymology
The name "monarch" is believed to have been given in honor of King William III of England, as the
butterfly's main color is that of the king's secondary title, Prince of Orange. �41 The monarch was originally
described by Carl Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae of 1758 and placed in the genus Eqpilio.LIE) In i78o,Jan
ISEgsztof Kluk used the monarch as the type sspecies for a new genus,Danaus.
Danaus (Ancient Greek Davabg), a great-grandson of Zeus, was a mythical king in Egypt or Libya, who
founded Argos; El pp (EMtptnoo was one of the 50 sons of Aegyptus, the twin brother of Danaus. In
Homeric Greek, his name means "one who urges on horsesn u, i.e., rider" n or charioteer".-(16
In the tenth
edition of Systema Naturae, at the bottom of page 467,L7-3 Linnaeus wrote that the names of the Danai
festivi, the division of the genus to which Papilio plexippus belonged, were derived from the sons of
Aegyptus. Linnaeus divided his large genus Papilio, containing all known butterfly species, into what we
would now call subgenera. The Danai festivi formed one of the "subgenera", containing colorful species, as
opposed to the Danai candidi, containing species with bright white wings. Linnaeus wrote: "Danaorum
^•andidorum nomina a filiabus Danai Aegypti,Festivorum a filiis mutuatus suns."(English: "The names of
rdhe Danai candidi have been derived from the daughters of Danaus, those of the Danai festivi from the sons
of Aegyptus.").

Robert Michael Pyle suggested Danaus is a masculinized version of Danae (Greek Davan), Danaus's great-
great-granddaughter, to whom Zeus came as a shower of gold, which seemed to him a more appropriate
source for the name of this butterfly. i81
Taxonomy
Monarchs belong in the subfamily Danainae of the family Ny2R2halidae.
Danainae was formerly considered a separately family Danaidae.1_10-1 The
three species of monarch butterflies are:
■ D. plexippus, described by Linnaeus in 1758, is the species known
most commonly as the monarch butterfly of North America. Its range
actually extends worldwide, including Hawaii, Australia, New
Zealand, Spain, and the Pacific Islands.
. D. erippus, the southern monarch, was described by Pieter Cramer
in 1775. This species is found in tropical and subtropical latitudes of White morph of the monarch in
South America, mainly in Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay,Argentina, Hawaii called the white monarch
Bolivia, Chile, and southern Peru. The South American monarch and
the North American monarch may have been one species at one
time. Some researchers believe the southern monarch separated from the monarch's population some 2
million years ago, at the end of the Pliocene. Sea levels were higher, and the entire Amazonas lowland
was a vast expanse of brackish swamp that offered limited butterfly habitat.Lol
. D. cleophile, the Jamaican monarch, described by Jean_Baptiste_ Godart in 1819, ranges from Jamaica_
to Hispaniola.[?I
Six subspecies and two color morphs of D.plexippus have been identified:[�
■ D. p. plexippus- nominate subspecies, described by Linnaeus in 1758, is the migratory subspecies
known from most of North America.
■ D. p. p. "form nivosus", the white monarch commonly found on_Oahu, Hawaii, and rarely in other
locations.
. D. p. p. (as yet unnamed)-a color morph lacking some wing vein markings.
1221
■ D. p. nigrippus(Richard Haensch, 1909)-South America - as forma: Danis [sic] archippus f. nigrippus.
Hay-Roe et al. in 2007 identified this taxon as a subspecies[P]
■ D. p. megalippe (Jacob Hubner, [1826])-nonmigratory subspecies, and is found from Florida and
Georgia southwards, throughout the Caribbean and Central America to the Amazon River.
■ D. p. leucogyne (Arthur G. Butler, 1884)- St. Thomas
■ D. p. portoricensis Austin Hobart Clark, 1941 - Puerto Rico
■ D. p. tobagi Austin Hobart Clark, 1941 -Tobago
The population level of the white morph in Oahu is nearing io%. On other Hawaiian islands, the white
morph occurs at a relatively low frequency. White monarchs (D. p. p. "form nivosus") have been found
throughout the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and the United States.Ml However,
some taxonomists disagree on these classifications.[2O 2M
Genome
The monarch was the first butterfly to have its genome sequenced. 2�:12 The 273-million-base Pair drahftd
sequence includes a set of 16,866 protein-coding genes. The genome provides researchers insights into
migratory behavior,the circadian clock,juvenile hormone pathways, and microRNAs that are differentially

expressed between summer and migratory monarchs.1�51iz6 LA More recently, the genetic basis of monarch
migration and warning coloration has been described.lzs]
No genetic differentiation exists between the migratory populations of eastern and western North
merica.�ci6 Recent research has identified the specific areas in the genome of the monarch that regulate
./migration. No genetic difference is seen between a migrating and nonmigrating monarch, but the gene is
expressed in migrating monarchs,but not expressed in nonmigrating monarchs.1*3
A 2015 publication identified genes from wasp bracoviruses in the genome of the North American
monarchbA leading to articles about monarch butterflies being genetically modified organismsJNJC—�)
Life cycle
Metamorphosis
Like all Lepidoptera, monarchs undergo complete metamorphosis; their
life cycle has four phases: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Monarchs
transition from eggs to adults during warm summer temperatures in as
little as 25 days,extending to as many as seven weeks during cool spring
conditions. During their development, both larvae and their milkweed /
hosts are vulnerable to weather extremes, predators, parasites, and Ic
diseases; commonly fewer than io% of monarch eggs and caterpillars
SUrVIVe.L-4'21-22
The life cycle of the monarch
butterfly
N ./
9g
The egg is derived from materials ingested as a larva and from the
spermatophores received from males during mating.M Female monarchs lay
eggs singly, most often on the underside of a young leaf of a milkweed plant
during the spring and summerS341 Females secrete a small amount of glue to
attach their eggs directly to the plant. They typically lay 300 to 500 eggs over a
two-to five-week period-IV
Egg
Eggs are cream colored or light green, ovate to conical in shape, and about
1.2 mm x 0.9 mm (0.047 in x 0.035 in)in size.The eggs weigh less than 0.5 mg
(0.0077 gr) each and have raised ridges that form longitudinally from the point to apex to the base.
Although each egg is '/i000 the mass of the female, she may lay up to her own mass in eggs. Females lay
smaller eggs as they age. Larger females lay larger eggs.La3J The number of eggs laid by a female, which may
mate several times,can reach i,i80.U61
Eggs take three to eight days to develop and hatch into larvae or caterpillars.l2A]:` The offspring's
consumption of milkweed benefits health and helps defend them against 5redators.3-7T3A1 Monarchs lay
eggs along the southern migration route.
130
Larva
he larva (caterpillar) has five stages (instars), moltin at the end of each instar. Instars last about 3 to 5
days,depending on factors such as temperature and food availability.WaOJ

The first-instar caterpillar that emerges from the egg is pale green or grayish-
white, shiny, and almost translucent, with a large, black head. It lacks banding
coloration or tentacles. The larvae or caterpillar eats its egg case and begins to
feed on milkweed with a circular motion, often leaving a characteristic, arc-
shaped hole in the leaf. Older first-instar larvae have dark stripes on a greenish 4
background and develop small bumps that later become front tentacles. The
first instar is usually between 2 and 6 mm (0.079 and 0.236 in)long.-L4o1 J
The second-instar larva develops a characteristic pattern of white, yellow, and rrksxs- (((
black transverse bands.The larva has a yellow triangle on the head and two sets
of yellow bands around this central triangle. It is no longer translucent, and is size comparison between
covered in short setae. Pairs of black tentacles begin to grow, a larger pair on an eastern black swallowtail
the thorax and a smaller pair on the abdomen. The second instar is usually caterpillar(top),a monarch
between 6 mm(0.24 in)and 1 cm(0.39 in) long.14DI caterpillar(middle), and a
ueen caterpillar(bottom)
The third-instar larva has more distinct bands and the two pairs of tentacles all on a human hand
become longer. Legs on the thorax differentiate into a smaller pair near the
head and larger pairs further back. Third-instar larvae usually feed using a
cutting motion on leaf edges.The third instar is usually between 1 and 1.5 cm(0.39 and o.59 in)long.[agl
The fourth-instar larva has a different banding pattern. It develops white spots on the prolep near its back,
and is usually between 1.5 and 2.5 cm(0.59 and o.98 in)long.(QOJ
The fifth-instar larva has a more complex banding pattern and white dots on the prolegs,with front legs that
are small and very close to the head. Fifth-instar larvae often chew a shallow notch in the ep tiole of the leaf
they are eating, which causes the leaf to fall into a vertical position. Its length ranges from 2.5 to 4.5 cm
(0.98 to 1.77 in).-)1401
As the caterpillar completes its growth, it is 4.5 cm (1.8 in) long (large specimens can reach 5 cm (2.0 in)))
and 7 to 8 mm (0.28 to 0.31 in)wide, and weighs about 1.5 g (0.053 oz), compared to the first instar, which
is 2 to 6 mm(0.o79 to 0.236 in)long and 0.5 to 1.5 mm (0.020 to 0.059 in)wide. Fifth-instar larvae greatly
increase in size and weight. They then stop feeding and are often found far from milkweed plants as they
seek a site for pupating.1401
In a laboratory setting, the fourth- and fifth-instar stages of the caterpillar showed signs of aggressive
behavior with lower food availability.Attacked caterpillars were found to be attacked when it was feeding on
milkweed leaves, and the caterpillars attacked when foraging for milkweed.ill This demonstrates the
aggressive behavior of monarch caterpillars due to the availability of milkweed.
Pupa
To prepare for the pupal or chrysalis stage, the caterpillar chooses a safe place for pupation,where it spins a
silk pad on a downward-facing horizontal surface.At this point,it turns around and securely latches on with
its last pair of hind legs and hangs upside down, in the form of the letter J.After "J-hanging" for about 12-
16 hours, it soon straightens out its body and goes into peristalsis some seconds before its skin splits behind
its head. It then sheds its skin over a period of a few minutes, revealing a green chrysalis. At first, the
chrysalis is long, soft, and somewhat amorphous,but over a few hours, it compacts into its distinct shape —
an opaque, pale-green chrysalis with small golden dots near the bottom, and a gold-and-black rim around
the dorsal side near the top.kO At first, its exoskeleton is soft and fragile,but it hardens and becomes more
durable within about a day. At this point, it is about 2.5 cm (0.98 in) long and 10-12 mm (0.39-0.47 in
wide, weighing about 1.2 g (0.042 oz). At normal summer temperatures, it matures in 8-15 days (usually`
11-12 days). During this pupal stage, the adult butterfly forms inside. A day or so before emerging, the

exoskeleton first becomes translucent and the chrysalis more bluish.
Finally, within 12 hours or so, it becomes transparent, revealing the
black and orange colors of the butterfly inside before it ecloses
(emerges).LUIL441
Adult
The adult emerges from its chrysalis after about two weeks of pupation.
The emergent adult hangs upside down for several hours while it pumps
fluids and air into its wings, which expand, dry, and stiffen. The
butterfly then extends and retracts its wings. Once conditions allow, it
flies and feeds on a variety of nectar plants. During the breeding season,
adults reach sexual maturity in 4-5 days. However, the migrating
generation does not reach maturity until overwintering is complete.L451
The adult's wingspan ranges from 8.9 to 10.2 centimetres (3.5 to Chrysalis
4.0 in).T1O1 The upper sides of the wings are tawny orange, the veins and
margins are black, and two series of small white spots occur in the
margins. Monarch forewings also have a few orange spots near their
tips. Wing undersides are similar, but the tips of forewings and
hindwings are yellow brown instead of tawny orange and the white spots
are larger.f463 The shape and color of the wings change at the beginning
of the migration and appear redder and more elongated than later
migrants.14Z Wings size and shape differ between migratory and
nonmigratory monarchs. Monarchs from eastern North America have
larger and more angular forewings than those in the western
,.�opulation.l-F41
.S
In eastern North American populations, overall wing size in the physical
dimensions of wings varies. Males tend to have larger wings than
females, and are typically heavier than females. Both males and females
have similar thoracic dimensions. Female monarchs tended to have
thicker wings, which is thought to convey greater tensile strength and
reduce the likelihood of being damaged during migration. Additionally,
females had lower wing load> than males, which would mean females
require less energy to fly.r$3
An emergent monarch clinging to its
Adults are s_ex_ually dimorphic. Males are slightly larger than females chrysalis shell
and have a black spot on a vein on each hindwing. The spots contain
scales that produce pheromones that many Lepidoptera use during
courtship. Females are often darker than males and have wider veins on their wings. The ends of the
abdomens of males and females differ in shape.lA6-3149-&MaPIWA-5A
The adult's thorax has six legs, but as in all of the Nymphalidae, the forelegs are small and held against the
body.The butterfly uses only its middle and hindlegs when walking and clinging.W]
Adults typically live for 2-5 weeks during their breeding season.!�W:'1'3 Larvae growing in high densities
are smaller, have lower survival, and weigh less as adults compared with those growing in lower
iensities.1W
N.00l
Vision

Physiological experiments suggest that monarch butterflies view the world through a tetrachromatic
system. Like humans, their retina contain three types of opsin proteins, expressed in distinct
photoreceptor cells, each of which absorbs light at a different wavelength. Unlike humans, one of those
types of photoreceptor cells corresponds to a wavelength in the ultraviolet range; the other two correspond
to blue and green.NO `,
In addition to these three photoreceptors cells in the main retina, monarch butterfly eyes contain orange
filtering pigments that filter the light reaching some green-absorbing opsins, thereby making a fourth
photoreceptor cell sensitive to longer-wavelength light.WJ The combination of filtered and unfiltered green
opsins permits the butterflies to distinguish yellow from orange colors.551 The ultraviolet opsin protein has
also been detected in the dorsal rim region of monarch eyes. One study suggests that this allows the
butterflies the ability to detect ultraviolet polarized skylight to orient themselves with the sun for their long
migratory flight.15A
These butterflies are capable of distinguishing colors based on their wavelength only, and not based on
intensity; this phenomenon is termed "true color vision". This is important for many butterfly behaviors,
including seeking nectar for nourishment, choosing a mate, and finding milkweed on which to lay eggs. One
study found that floral color is more easily recognized at a distance by butterflies searching for nectar than
floral shape. This may be because flowers have highly contrasting colors to the green background of a
vegetative landscaper$] On the other hand, leaf shape is important for oviposition so that the butterflies
can ensure their eggs are being laid on milkweed.
Beyond the perception of color, the ability to remember certain colors is essential in the life of monarch
butterflies. These insects can easily learn to associate color, and to a lesser extent, shape, with sugary food
rewards. When searching for nectar, color is the first cue that draws the insect's attention toward a potential
food source, and shape is a secondary characteristic that promotes the process.When searching for a place
to lay its eggs, the roles of color and shape are switched. Also, a difference may exist between male and
female butterflies from other species in terms of the ability to learn certain colors;however, no differences ice/
noted between the sexes for monarch butterflies.E581
Courtship and mating
Monarch courtship occurs in two phases. During the aerial phase, a male
pursues and often forces a female to the ground. During the ground
phase, the butterflies copulate and remain attached for about 30 to 6o
minutes.l59 Only 30% of mating attempts end in copulation, suggesting
that females may be able to avoid mating, though some have more
success than others.OPML3 During copulation, a male transfers his
spermatophore to a female. Along with sperm, the spermatophore
Monarch hutterFly mating (video)
provides a female with nutrition, which aids her in laying eggs. An
increase in spermatophore size increases the fecundity of female
monarchs. Males that produce larger spermatophores also fertilize more
females'eggs.0?l
Females and males typically mate more than once. Females that mate several times lay more eggs.[63l
Mating for the overwintering populations occurs in the spring, prior to dispersion. Mating is less dependent
on pheromones than in other species in its genus.1641 Male search and capture strategies may influence
copulatory success, and human-induced changes to the habitat can influence monarch mating activity at
overwintering sitesS!W
Distribution and habitat

The range of the western and eastern populations of D.
p.plexippus expands and contracts depending upon the
season. The range differs between breeding areas,
migration routes, and winter roostsJ4—:18 However, no
114�enetic differences between the western and eastern
monarch populations exist;1�21 reproductive isolation
has not led to subspeciation of these populations, as it
has elsewhere within the species' range.L41:19
In the Americas, the monarch ranges from southern String or monarchs wintering at California's Pismo
Canada through northern South America.Ml It is also State Beach Monarch Preserve(2015)
found in Bermuda, Cook Islands, 661 Hawaii,L6&1681
Cuba,(b91 and other Caribbean ' islands[�4?:i8 the
Solomons, New Caledonia, New Zealand,-(Zgl Papua New Guinea,(711
Australia,the Azores,the canary Islands, Madeira,continental Portugal,
Gibraltar,) l the Philippines, and Morocco C-a It appears in the UK in
some years as an accidental migrant1741—
Overwintering populations of D. p. plexippus are found in Mexico,
California, along the Gulf Coast of the United States, year-round in
Florida, and in Arizona where the habitat has the specific conditions
necessary for their survival [ZI&A] On the East Coast of the United Monarch flying away from a
States,they have overwintered as far north as Lago Mar,Virginia Brach, sunflower in Mexico
Vifginia.L771 Their wintering habitat typically provides access to streams,
plenty of sunlight (enabling body temperatures that allow flight), and
appropriate roosting vegetation, and is relatively free of predators.
lao,bverwintering, roosting butterflies have been seen on basswoods, elms, sumacs, locusts, oaks, osage-
oranges, mulberries, pecans, willows, cottonwoods, and mesquites.Z1 While breeding, monarch habitats
can be found in agricultural fields, pasture land, prairie remnants, urban and suburban residential areas,
gardens,trees,and roadsides— anywhere where there is access to larval host plants.(Z�l
Larval host plants
The host plants used by the monarch caterpillar include:
■ A_syepias.angustifolia — ■ Asclepias exaltata—poke —
Arizona milkweed�8- milkweedCti61
■ Asclepias albicans—whitestem ■ Asclepias fascicularis—
milkweed Mexican whorled milkweed[801
■ Asclepias asperula—antelope . Asclepias humistrata—
horns milkweed N sandhill/pinewoods
■ Asclepias_califomica— milkweedET Mating monarchs in captivity
California milkweed( e1 ■ Asclepiasincamata—swamp
■ Asclepias cordifolia—heartleaf milkweedlel)te2jja311eaI
milkweedi801 ■ Asclepias/inaria— pineneedle
■ Asclepias curass_avica milkweed
■ Asclepias eriocarpa—woolly ■ Asclepias nivea—Caribbean
pod milkweeds milkweed1F99
■ Asclepias erosa—desert ■ Asclepias oenotheroide —
milkweed— zizotes milkweedLoa—

■ Ascfepias _erennis—aquatic ■ Asclepias.verticiflata—whorled
milkweed OI milkweedK91
■ Asclepias speciosa—showy ■ Asclepias vestita—woolly
milkweedl �1l J[88]L891 milkweed -r
■ Ascle ias subufata— rush ■ Asc epics viddis—green
miikweedL°1 antelopehorn
• Asclepias.syriaca—common miIkweedRO 1us20sAL911
milkweedi9011 ■ Calotro,Pis g yantea— crown
■ Ascle&s tuberose—butterfly flower'-61— Inflorescence of swamp milkweed,
weedLJ ■ Calotro ip s procera one of many species of Asclepias
■ Asclepias_variegate—white ■ tynanchum laeve—sand vine milkweeds that serve as hosts for
milkweed milkweed
milkweedl-- monarch caterpillars
• Sarcostemma clausa—white
vines-1
Asclepias curassavica, or tropical milkweed, is often planted as an
ornamental in butterfly gardens. Year-round plantings in the USA are
controversial and criticised, as they may be the cause of new
overwintering sites along the U.S. Gulf Coast, leading to year-round
breeding of monarchs.L2§1 This is thought to adversely affect migration
patterns, and to cause a dramatic buildup of the dangerous parasite,
Ophryoc ,stfs elektroscirrha.021 New research also has shown that
monarch larvae reared on tropical milkweed show reduced migratory A second-instar monarch caterpillar
development (reproductive diapause), and when migratory adults are feeding on Asclepias fascicularis
exposed to tropical milkweed, it stimulates reproductive tissue
growth.11001
Adult food sources ! '
Although larvae eat only milkweed, adult monarchs feed on the nectar of
many plants,including:11O13
• Apocynum cannabinum— ■ Eupatorium perfoliatum—
mon bor Indian hemp comieset
■ Ascfepias spp.—milkweed ■ t ep!tri matronalis_—dame's Monarch feeding from marigold
■ Aster sp. —aster rocket flower
• Cirsium sp.—thistle ■ Liatris sp.—blazing stars
■ Dauc_us carota—wild carrot ■ Medicago sativa—alfalfa
■ pfpsacus syfv_estris—teasel • sp. —goldenrod
• Echinacea sp. —coneflower ■ sr�la vulgaris—lilac
■ Erigeron canadensis— ■ TrifolfumRkratense—red clover
horseweed— ■ Vemonia altis_sima—tall
■ Eupatorlum maculatum— fro nweedf7 T
spotted Joe-Pye weed
Nectaring on purple coneflower
(Echinacea purpurea)

Monarchs obtain moisture and minerals from damp soil and wet gravel, a
behavior known as mud- Rdddling. The monarch has also been noticed
puddling at an oil stain on pavementJZ§1 In
'%-+light and migrationIn North America, monarchs migrate both north and south on an annual
basis, in a long-distance journey that is fraught with risks.) This is a
multi-generational migration, with individual monarchs only making part An adult monarch sucking nectar
of the full journey.(1O2) The population east of the Rocky Mountains from Salvia clevelandd
attempts to migrate to the sanctuaries of the Mariposa Monarca Biosphere
Reserve in the Mexican state of Michoacfin and parts of Florida. The .
western population tries to reach overwintering destinations in various
coastal sites in central and southern California. The overwintered
population of those east of the Rockies may reach as far north as Texas and
Oklahoma during the spring migration. The second, third, and fourth
generations return to their northern locations in the United States and
Canada in the spring.L'°31
Captive-raised monarchs appear capable of migrating to overwintering
sites in Me dco,.1O41 though they have a much lower migratory success rate
than do wild monarchs (see section on captive-rearing below) [ion
Monarch overwintering sites have been discovered recently in Arizona.Llo6l Migrating monarchs resting on a
Monarchs from the eastern US generally migrate longer distances than pine tree in Fire Island National
monarchs from the western US.j1O71, Seashore on Lon,: Island, New
York (September 2021)
mince the i800s, monarchs have spread throughout the world, and there
are now many non-migratory populations globally.[1081
Flight speeds of adults are around 9 km/h(6 mph)Pg91
Interactions with predators
In both caterpillar and butterfly form,monarchs are aposematic, warding off predators with a bright display
of contrasting colors to warn potential predators of their undesirable taste and poisonous characteristics.
One monarch researcher emphasizes that predation on eggs, larvae or adults is natural, since monarchs are
part of the food chain,thus people should not take steps to kill predators of monarchs.L1101
Larvae feed exclusively on milkweed and consume protective cardiac glycosides. Toxin levels in Asclepias
species vary. Not all monarchs are unpalatable, but exhibit Batesian or autom_imics. Cardiac glycosides
levels are higher in the abdomen and wings. Some predators can differentiate between these parts and
consume the most palatable ones.tnll
Butterfly weed (A. tuberosa) lacks significant amounts of cardiac glycosides (cardenolides), but instead
contains other types of toxic glycosides, including rj�-Hanes. lla 11 1I!!Al This difference may reduce the
toxicity of monarchs whose larvae feed on that milkweed species, as a naturalist and others have reported
that monarch caterpillars do not favor the plan0"W Some other milkweeds have similar characteristics.1ii61
Types of predators

While monarchs have a wide range of natural predators, none of these is suspected of causing harm to the
overall population, or are the cause of the long-term declines in winter colony sizes.
Several species of birds have acquired methods that allow them to ingest monarchs without experiencing
the ill effects associated with the cardiac glycosides(cardenolides).The black-backed oriole is able to eat th-
monarch through an exa tatio_n of its feeding behavior that gives it the ability to identify cardenolides b
taste and reject them rii?-The black-headed grosbeak, though, has developed an insensitivity to secondary
plant poisons that allows it to ingest monarchs without vomiting.L118-1 As a result, these orioles and
grosbeaks periodically have high levels of cardenolides in their bodies, and they are forced to go on periods
of reduced monarch consumption. This cycle effectively reduces potential predation of monarchs by 50%
and indicates that monarch aposematism has a legitimate purpose. '03 The black-headed grosbeak has also
evolved resistance mutations in the molecular target of the heart poisons, the sodium pump. The specific
mutations that evolved in one of the grosbeak's four copies of the sodium pump gene are the same as those
found in other milkweed butterflies like the common crow that also evolved to resist cardiac glycosidesSil9)
Other bird predators include brown thrashers, grackles, robins, cardinals,narrows, scrub jays, and pinyon
jam.fill]
The monarch's white morph appeared in Oahu after the 1965—i966 introduction of two bulbul bird species,
P cnonotus safer and Pycnonot us,jocosus. These are now the most common avian insectivores in Hawaii,
and probably the only ones that eat insects as large as monarchs. Although Hawaiian monarchs have low
cardiac glycoside levels, the birds may also be tolerant of that toxin. The two species hunt the larvae and
some pupae from the branches and undersides of leaves in milkweed bushes. The bulbuls also eat resting
and ovipositing adults, but rarely flying ones. Because of its color, the white morph has a higher survival
rate than the orange one.This is either because of apostatic selection (i.e.,the birds have learned the orange
monarchs can be eaten), because of camoufla&e (the white morph matches the white pubescence of
milkweed or the patches of light shining through foliage), or because the white morph does not fit the bird's
search image of a typical monarch,so is thus avoided.Ll201
�.J
Some mice, particularly the black-eared mouse (Peromx�scus melanotis), are, like all rodents, able to
tolerate large doses of cardenolides and are able to eat monarchs:121, Overwintering adults become less
toxic over time making them more vulnerable to predators. In Mexico, about 14% of the overwintering
monarchs are eaten by birds and mice and black-eared mice can eat up to 40 monarchs per night.1Z511-11a
In North America, eggs and first-instar larvae of the monarch are eaten by larvae and adults of the
introduced Asian lady beetle (Harmonic axr�ridis).ilaaa The Chinese mantis (T'enodera sinensis) will
consume the larvae once the gut is removed thus avoiding cardenolides.-LIaLl Predatory wasps commonly
consume larvae,[ though large larvae may avoid wasp predation by dropping from the plant or by jerking
their bodies.L190
Aposematism
Monarchs are toxic and foul-tasting because of the presence of °
cardenolides in their bodies,which the caterpillars ingest as they feed on jAOH
milkweed.L[ 4—3 Monarchs and other cardenolide-resistant insects rely on
a resistant form of the Na+/ K+ATPase enzyme to tolerate significantly Ho - o
higher concentrations of cardenolides than nonresistant species.i1261 By o
ingesting a large amount of plants in the genus Asclepias, primarily �o�'' 40
H
milkweed, monarch caterpillars are able to sequester cardiac glycosides, Chemical structure of olea___ndrin,one
or more specifically cardenolides, which are steroids that act in heart- of the cardiac glycosides'--'-'
glycosides
arresting ways similar to !4gita1*.L12Z1 It has been found that monarchs
are able to sequester cardenolides most effectively from plants of
intermediate cardenolide content rather than those of high or low content. 12 1 Three mutations that

evolved in the monarch's Na+ K+-ATPase were found to be sufficient together to confer resistance to
dietary cardiac glycosides.('-- This was tested by swapping these mutations into the same gene in the fruit
fly Drosophila melanoyaster using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing.These fruit flies-turned monarch flied��9
were completely resistant to dietary ouabain, a cardiac glycoside found in Apocynaceae, and even
sequestered some through metamorphosis, like the monarch.L- 61
Different species of milkweed have different effects on growth,virulence, and transmission of parasites.IMLI
One species,Ascle ip as curassauica, appears to reduce the symptoms of Qpftaogstis elektroscirrha (OE)
infection. The two possible explanations for this include that it promotes overall monarch health to boost
the monarch's immune system or that chemicals from the plant have a direct negative effect on the OE
parasites.11391 A. curassauica does not cure or prevent the infection with OE; it merely allows infected
monarchs to live longer, and this would allow infected monarchs to spread the OE spores for longer periods.
For the average home butterfly garden,this scenario only adds more OE to the local population.LIA11
After the caterpillar becomes a butterfly, the toxins shift to different parts of the body. Since many birds
attack the wings of the butterfly, having three times the cardiac glycosides in the wings leaves predators
with a very foul taste and may prevent them from ever ingesting the body of the buttertly.LLZI To combat
predators that remove the wings only to ingest the abdomen, monarchs keep the most potent cardiac
glycosides in their abdomens.('? ?1
Mimicry
Monarchs share the defense of noxious taste with the similar-appearing
viceroy butterfly in what is perhaps one of the most well-known
examples of mimicry. Though long purported to be an example of
latesian mimicry, the viceroy is actually reportedly more unpalatable
khan the monarch,making this a case of Miillerian mimicry.(-'-33- Monarch(left)and viceroy(right)
butterflies exhibiting Mullerlan
Human interaction mimicry
The monarch is the state insect of Alabama,1241 Idaho,('151 Illinois,Li361 Minnesota,llsl TexasA130
Vermont,JUPl,and West Virginia. Legislation was introduced to make it the national insect of the United
States,ti-411 but this failed in 19891�-4A and again in i99i.1'-` 1
Homeowners are increasingly establishing butterfly gardens; monarchs can be attracted by cultivating a
butterfly garden with specific milkweed species and nectar plants. Efforts are underway to establish these
monarch waystations. L_41
An IMAX 51m, Eight off' the Butterflies, describes the story of the Urquh�art�s, Bru er_, and Trail to
document the then-unknown monarch migration to Mexican overwintering areas s'4S1
Sanctuaries and reserves have been created at overwintering locations in Mexico and California to limit
habitat destruction. These sites can generate significant tourism revenue.11461 However, with less tourism,
monarch butterflies will have a higher survival rate because they show more protein content and a higher
value of immune response and oxidative defense.LIALI
Organizations and individuals participate in tagging programs. Tagging information is used to study
nigration patterns.LA
11%.�

The 2012 novel by Barbara Kin solver, Flight Behavior, deals with the fictional appearance of a large
population in the Ap alachians.-14
Captive rearing
Humans interact with monarchs when rearing them in captivity, which has become increasingly popular.
However, risks occur in this controversial activity. On one hand, captive rearing has many positive aspects.
Monarchs are bred in schools and used for butterfly releases at hospices, memorial events, and
weddings.li511 Memorial services for the September 1i attacks include the release of captive-bred
monarchs.115111152111531 Monarchs are used in schools and nature centers for educational purposes.URI
Many homeowners raise monarchs in captivity as a hobby and for educational purposes.W1
On the other hand, this practice becomes problematic when monarchs are "mass-reared". Stories in the
Hu fiington Post in 2015 and Discover_ magazine in 2016 have summarized the controversy around this
issue��?]
The frequent media reports of monarch declines have encouraged many homeowners to attempt to rear as
many monarchs as possible in their homes and then release them to the wild in an effort to "boost the
monarch population". Some individuals, such as one in Linn County, Iowa, have reared thousands of
monarchs at the same time.a81
Some monarch scientists do not condone the practice of rearing "large" numbers of monarchs in captivity
for release into the wild because of the risks of genetic issues and disease spread.W291 One of the biggest
concerns of mass rearing is the potential for spreading the monarch parasite, Ophryocystis elektroscirrha,
into the wild. This parasite can rapidly build up in captive monarchs, especially if they are housed together.
The spores of the parasite also can quickly contaminate all housing equipment, so that all subsequent
monarchs reared in the same containers then become infected. One researcher stated that rearing mor�J
than too monarchs constitutes"mass rearing"and should not be done.E16o1
In addition to the disease risks, researchers believe these captive-reared monarchs are not as fit as wild
ones, owing to the unnatural conditions in which they are raised. Homeowners omen raise monarchs in
plastic or glass containers in their kitchens, basements, porches, etc., and under artificial lighting and
controlled temperatures. Such conditions would not mimic what the monarchs are used to in the wild, and
may result in adults that are unsuited for the realities of their wild existence. In support of this, a recent
study by a citizen scientist found that captive-reared monarchs have a lower migration success rate than
wild monarchs do.-
L-A 2019 study shed light on the fitness of captive-reared monarchs,by testing reared and wild monarchs on a
tethered flight apparatus that assessed navigational ability.i1611 In that study, monarchs that were reared to
adulthood in artificial conditions showed a reduction in navigational ability. This happened even with
monarchs that were brought into captivity from the wild for a few days.A few captive-reared monarchs did
show proper navigation. This study revealed the fragility of monarch development; if the conditions are not
suitable,their ability to properly migrate could be impaired.The same study also examined the genetics of a
collection of reared monarchs purchased from a butterfly breeder, and found they were dramatically
different from wild monarchs,so much so that the lead author described them as"franken-monarchs".11621
An unpublished study in 2019 compared behavior of captive-reared versus wild monarch larvae.1i631 The
study showed that reared larvae exhibited more defensive behavior than wild larvae. The reason for this is
unknown,but it could relate to the fact that reared larvae are frequently handled and/or disturbed.
Threats

In February 2oi5, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported a study that showed that nearly a billion
monarchs had vanished from the butterfly's overwintering sites since i99o. The agency attributed the
monarch's decline in part to a loss of milkweed caused by herbicides that farmers and homeowners had
used.li64-1
Western monarch populations
Based on a 2014 20-year comparison, the overwintering " '" "° `•
numbers west of the Rocky Mountains have dropped more
than 50% since 1997 and the overwintering numbers east of
the Rockies have declined by more than go% since 1995• t
According to the Xerces Society, the monarch population in ..
California decreased_86% in 2018, going from millions of
butterflies to tens of thousands of butterflies.1i651
The society's annual 2020-2021 winter count showed a ""-""�^"•" '^^" •'^^
significant decline in the California population. One Pacific Western monarch populations from 1997 to
Grove site did not have a single monarch butterfly. A primary 2013 (from Xerces Society data)
explanation for this was the destruction of the butterfly's
milkweed habitats.L 166). This particular population is
believed to comprise less than 2000 individuals,as of 2022:11§7l
Eastern and midwestern monarch populations
A 2016 publication attributed the previous decade's go% decline in
fverwintering numbers of the eastern monarch population to the loss of
'�"Ireeding habitat and milkweed. The publication's authors stated that an j
11%-57% probability existed that this population will go almost extinct
over the next 20 years.Ei 1 _
Chip Taylor,the director of Monarch Watch at the Universes of Kansas,
has stated that the Midwest milkweed habitat "is virtually gone" with
[i6911i7 Monarch Area covered to monarchs(D.
120-150 million acres lost. ----- To help fight this problem, piexippus,eastern migratory
Watch encourages the planting of"Monarch Waystations"-1'01
population)in their overwintering
areas in Mexico between 1993 and
Habitat loss due to herbicide use and genetically modified crops 2018
Declines in milkweed abundance and monarch populations between
1999 and 2010 are correlated with the adoption of herbicide-tolerant genetically modified (GM) corn and
soybeans, which now constitute 89% and 94% of these crops, respectively, in the U.S.�$T GM corn and
soybeans are resistant to the effect of the herbicide g�hosate. Some conservationists attribute the
disappearance of milkweed to agricultural practices in the Midwest, where GM seeds are bred to resist
herbicides that farmers use to kill unwanted plants that grow near their rows of food crops.!Z!I[ 7�l
In 2015, the Natural Resources Defense Council filed a suit against the United States Environmental
Protection Aged (EPA). The Council argued that the agency ignored warnings about the dangers of
glyphosate usage for monarchs.[ITJI However, a 2018 study has suggested that the decline in milkweed
,predates the arrival of GM crops K41
Losses during migration

Eastern and midwestern monarchs are apparently experiencing
problems reaching Mexico.A number of monarch researchers have cited
recent evidence obtained from long-term citizen science data that show
that the number of breeding (adult) monarchs has not declined in the
last two decades.LZ§1Sy6l[I
The lack of long-term declines in the numbers of breeding and
migratory monarchs, yet the clear declines in overwintering numbers,
suggests a growing disconnect exists between these life stages. One
researcher has suggested that mortality from car strikes constitutes an Monarch nectaring on a zinnia_
increasing threat to migrating monarchs.(A781 A study of road mortality flower during its migration
in northern Mexico, published in 2019, showed very high mortality from southward to Mexico, late
just two "hotspots" each year, amounting to 200,000 monarchs September of 2022
killed.991
Loss of overwintering habitat
The area of Mexican forest to which eastern and midwestern monarchs migrate reached its lowest level in
two decades in 2013. The decline was expected to increase during the 2013-2014 season. Mexican
environmental authorities continue to monitor illegal logging of the oyamel trees. The oyamel is a major
species of evergreen on which the overwintering butterflies spend a significant time during their winter
diapause,or suspended development.(isol
A 2014 study acknowledged that while "the protection of overwintering habitat has no doubt gone a long
way towards conserving monarchs that breed throughout eastern North America', their research indicates
that habitat loss on breeding grounds in the United States is the main cause of both recent and projected
population declines.D§A
Parasites
Parasites include the tachinid flies Sturmia comer ens(i821 and Lespesia
archippfuora. Lesperia-parasitized butterfly larvae suspend, but die prior to
pupation.The fly's maggot lowers itself to the ground, forms a brown puuparium
and then emerges as an adultA831
i
Pteromalid wasps, specifically Pteromalus cassods, parasitize monarch
pu i'MI Thy ese wasps lay their eggs in the pupae while the chrysalis is still
soft. Up to 40o adults emerge from the chrysalis after 14-2o days,(L841 killing
the monarch.
The bacterium Micrococcus flacidifex danai also infects larvae. Just before
pupation, the larvae migrate to a horizontal surface and die a few hours later,
attached only by one pair of prolegs, with the thorax and abdomen hanging
limp. The body turns black shortly thereafter. The bacterium Pseudomonas pteromaius cassotis on
aeTginosa has no invasive powers, but causes secondary —infections in monarch chrysalis
weakened insects. It is a common cause of death in laboratory-reared
insects.Li§31
Ophryocystis elektroscirrha is another parasite of the monarch. It infects the subcutaneous tissues an
propagates by spores formed during the pupal stage. The spores are found over 91 of the body of infecte�
butterflies, with the greatest number on the abdomen. These spores are passed, from female to caterpillar,
when spores rub off during egg laying and are then ingested by caterpillars. Severely infected individuals are

weak, unable to expand their wings, or unable to eclose, and have shortened lifespans, but parasite levels
vary in populations.This is not the case in laboratory rearing,where after a few generations, all individuals
can be infected.11851
infection with 4. elektroscirrha creates an effect known as Lulling, whereby migrating monarchs that are
infected are less likely to complete the migration. This results in overwintering populations with lower
parasite loads.11861 Owners of commercial butterfly-breeding operations claim that they take steps to
control this parasite in their practices,[1� although this claim is doubted by many scientists who study
monarchs.Elss
Confusion of host plants
The black swallow-wort (Cynanchum louiseae) and pale swallow-wort (Gananchum rossicum) plants are
problematic for monarchs in North America. Monarchs lay their eggs on these relatives of native A ing
milkweed (G'pnanchum laeve) because they produce stimuli similar to milkweed. Once the eggs hatch, the
caterpillars are poisoned by the toxicity of this invasive plant from Europe.[1$93
Climate
Climate variations during the fall and summer affect butterfly reproduction. Rainfall and freezing
temperatures affect milkweed growth. Omar Vidal, director general of WWF-Mexico, said, "The monarch's
lifecycle depends on the climatic conditions in the places where they breed. Eggs,larvae, and pupae develop
more quickly in milder conditions. Temperatures above 35 °C (95 OF) can be lethal for larvae, and eggs dry
out in hot, and conditions, causing a drastic decrease in hatch rate."L1221 If a monarch's body temperatures
Is below 30 °C(86 OF), a monarch cannot fly.To warm up,they sit in the sun or rapidly shiver their wings to
w"varm themselves.fDMI
Climate change may dramatically affect the monarch migration.A study from 2015 examined the impact of
warming temperatures on the breeding range of the monarch, and showed that in the next 50 years the
monarch host plant will expand its range further north into Canada, and that the monarchs will follow
this.[Mj While this will expand the breeding locations of the monarch, it will also have the effect of
increasing the distance that monarchs must travel to reach their overwintering destination in Mexico,which
could result in greater mortality during the migration.1123-1
Milkweeds grown at increased temperatures have been shown to contain higher cardenolide concentrations,
making the leaves too toxic for the monarch caterpillars. However, these increased concentrations are likely
in response to increased insect herbivory, which is also caused by the increased temperatures. Whether
increased temperatures make milkweed too toxic for monarch caterpillars when other factors are not
present is unknown.L1943 Additionally, milkweed grown at carbon dioxide levels of 76o parts per million was
found to pproduce a different mix of the toxic cardenolides, one of which was less effective against monarch
p
arasites.-195
Conservation status
On July 20, 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature added the migratory monarch
butterfly(the subspecies common in North America)to its red list of endangered species. 1961[21
\%.vi'he monarch butterfly is not currently listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or protected specifically under U.S.domestic laws 3.-

On August 14, 2014, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Food Safety filed a legal petition
requesting Endangered Species Act protection for the monarch and its habitat,U'A based largely on the long-
term trends observed at overwintering sites. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) initiated a status
review of the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act with a due date for information
submission of March 3, 2015,later extended to 2020. On December 15, 2020,the FWS ruled that adding th
bu
tterfly to the list of threatened and endangered species was "warranted-but-precluded" because it needed•"
P
to devote its resources to 161 higher-prioritys ecies.IA p
The number of monarchs overwintering in Mexico has shown a long-term downward trend. Since 1995,
coverage numbers have been as high as 18 hectares (44 acres) during the winter of 1996-1997, but on
average about 6 hectares (15 acres).Coverage declined to its lowest point to date(o.67 hectares (1.66 acres))
during the winter of 2013-2014, but rebounded to 4.o1 hectares (10 acres) in 2015-2o16. The average
population of monarchs in 2016 was estimated at 200 million. Historically,on average there are 300 million
monarchs. The 2016 increase was attributed to favorable breeding conditions in the summer of 2015.
However, coverage declined by 27% to 2.91 hectares (7.19 acres) during the winter of 2o16-2017. Some
believe this was because of a storm that had occurred during March 2o16 in the monarchs' previous
overwintering season,LEI 20012011 though this seems unlikely since most current research shows that the
overwintering colony sizes do not predict the size of the next summer breeding population.[202]
In Ontario, Canada, the monarch butterfly is listed as a species of special concern.C2°3j In fall 2016, the
Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada proposed that the monarch be listed as
endangered in Canada, as opposed to its current listing as a"species of concern"in that country.This move,
once enacted, would protect critical monarch habitat in Canada, such as major fall accumulation areas in
southern Ontario,but it would also have implications for citizen scientists who work with monarchs,and for
classroom activities. If the monarch were federally protected in Canada, these activities could be limited, or
require federal permits.L22-41
In Nova Scotia,the monarch is listed as endangered at the provincial level, as of 2017.This decision(as we
as the Ontario decision) apparently is based on a presumption that the overwintering colony declines in
Mexico create declines in the breeding range in Canada.LO51 Two recent studies have been conducted
examining long-term trends in monarch abundance in Canada, using either butterfly atlas records 2o6• or
citizen science butterfly surveys,['--'-!]-and neither shows evidence of a population decline in Canada.
Conservation efforts
Although numbers of breeding monarchs in eastern North America have apparently not decreased, reports
of declining numbers of overwintering butterflies have inspired efforts to conserve the species.�17s1{i�6--aa
Federal actions
On June 20, 2014, President B_arack Obama issued a presidential memorandum entitled"Creating a Federal
Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators". The memorandum established a
Pollinator Health Task Force, to be co-chaired by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency,and stated:
The number of migrating Monarch butterflies sank to the lowest recorded population level in
2013-14,and there is an imminent risk of failed migration.[2O$1
In May 2015, the Pollinator Health Task Force issued a "National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey
Bees and Other Pollinators".The strategy laid out federal actions to achieve three goals,two of which were:

■ Monarch Butterflies: Increase the Eastern population of the monarch butterfly to 225 million
butterflies occupying an area of approximately 15 acres (6 hectares) in the overwintering
grounds in Mexico, through domestic/international actions and public-private partnerships, by
2020.
llq� ■ Pollinator Habitat Acreage: Restore or enhance 7 million acres of land for pollinators over the
next 5 years through Federal actions and public/private partnerships.��
Many of the priority projects that the national strategy identified focused on the I-35 corridor, which
extends for 1,5oo miles (2,400 km) from Texas to Minnesota. The area through which that highway travels
provides spring and summer breeding habitats in the United States'key monarch migration corridor. 2091
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) publishes sets of landscape performance requirements in
its P1oo documents, which mandate standards for the GSA's Public Buildings Service. Beginning in March
2oi5, those performance requirements and their updates have included four primary aspects for planting
designs that are intended to provide adequate on-site fora in opportunities for targeted pollinators. The
targeted pollinators include bees,butterflies, and other beneficial insects:L210A21a [212)
On December 4, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Fixing America's Surface Transportation
(FAST)Act (Pub. L. 114-94).L213] The FAST Act placed a new emphasis on efforts to support pollinators. To
accomplish this, the FAST Act amended Title 23 (Highways) of the United States Code. The amendment
directed the United States Secretary of Transportation, when carrying out programs under that title in
conjunction with willing states,to:
1. encourage integrated vegetation management practices on roadsides and other transportation rights-of-
way, including reduced mowing; and
2. encourage the development of habitat and forage for Monarch butterflies, other native pollinators, and
honey bees through plantings of native forbs and grasses, including noninvasive, native milkweed
species that can serve as migratory way stations for butterflies and facilitate migrations of other
pollinators.L214J
The FAST Act also stated that activities to establish and improve pollinator habitat, forage, and migratory
way stations may be eligible for Federal funding if related to transportation projects funded under Title
23.E
The United States Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency helps increase U.S. populations of
monarch butterfly and other pollinators through its Conservation_Reserve EgVam's State Acres for
Wildlife Enhancement(SAFE) Initiative. The SAFE Initiative provides an annual rental payment to farmers
who agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and who plant species
that will improve environmental health and quality. Among other things, the initiative encourages
landowners to establish wetlands, grasses, and trees to create habitats for species that the FWS has
designated to be threatened or endangered.t-21E21b1[2171i21s1
Other actions
Agriculture companies and other organizations are being asked to set aside areas that remain unsprayed to
allow monarchs to breed. In addition, national and local initiatives are underway to help establish and
maintain pollinator habitats along corridors containing power lines and roadways. The Federal Highway

Administration, state governments, and local jurisdictions are encouraging highway departments and
others to limit their use of herbicides, to reduce mowing, to help milkweed to grow and to encourage
monarchs to reproduce within their right-of-ways.11 2 [2!91
National Cooperative Highway Research Program report 1%00�
In 2020, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCRHP) of the Transportation Research
Board issued a 208-page report that described a project that had examined the potential for roadway
corridors to provide habitat for monarch butterflies. A part of the project developed tools for roadside
managers to optimize potential habitat for monarch butterflies in their road rights-of-way.l22°d(2?1)
Such efforts are controversial because the risk of butterfly mortality near roads is high. Several studies have
shown that motor vehicles kill millions of monarchs and other butterflies every year.IZ Also, some
evidence indicates that monarch larvae living near roads experience physiological stress conditions, as
evidenced by elevations in their heart rate.E1221
The NCRHP report acknowledged that, among other hazards, roads present a danger of traffic collisions for
monarchs, stating that these effects appear to be more concentrated in particular funnel areas during
migration.122s]Nevertheless,the report concluded:
In summary, threats along roadway corridors exist for monarchs and other pollinators, but in
the context of the amount of habitat needed for recovery of sustainable populations, roadsides
are of vital importance.E33
Butterfly gardening L/
While scientific studies on the subject have been reported, the practice
of butterfly gardening and creating "monarch waystations" is commonly �L
thought f to increase the populations of
buttertlieS:(22g—K22 1(226lt2271(22$1[2291[2i39J Efforts to restore falling
monarch populations by establishing butterfly hardens and monarch
waystations require particular attention to the butterfly's food
preferences and population cycles, as well to the conditions needed to
propagate and maintain milkweed.L?-Ol�]
For example, in the )Yashin on, DC, area and elsewhere in the
northeastern United States, monarchs prefer to reproduce on common
milkweed (A. syriaca), especially when its foliage is soft and fresh.
Because monarch reproduction in that area peaks in late summer when
milkweed foliage is old and tough,A. syriaca needs to be mowed or cut
back in June through August to assure that it will be regrowing rapidly
when monarch reproduction reaches its peak. Similar conditions exist A monarch waystation near the town
for showy milkweed (A. speciosa) in Michigan and for green of Berwyn Heights in Prince
antelopehorn milkweed (A. viridis), where it grows in the Southern George's County, Maryland (June
Great Plains and the Western United States.(8ol[z�33][ g,]C $][2$_--2b7[-- In 2017)
addition, the seeds of A. syriaca and some other milkweeds need
periods of cold treatment (cold stratification) before they will
germinate [?381—( $3012Ao]f:�4 ?1}3J

To protect seeds from washing away during heavy rains and from seed—eating birds, one can cover the seeds
with a light fabric or with an 0.5-inch (13 mm) layer of straw mulch.E244IE2453 However, mulch acts as an
insulator. Thicker layers of mulch can prevent seeds from germinating if they prevent soil temperatures
from rising enough when winter ends. Further,few seedlings can push through a thick layer of mulch.[ 467
Although monarch caterpillars will feed on butterfly weed (A. tuberosa) in butterfly gardens, the plant has
rough leaves and is typically not a heavily used host plant for the species. 47a The plant's low levels of
cardenolides may also make the plant unattractive to egg-laying monarchs.LI!51 While A. tuberosa's colorful
flowers provide nectar for many adult butterflies, the plant may be less suitable for use in butterfly gardens
and monarch waystations than are other milkweed species.-'I
Breeding monarchs prefer to lay eggs on swamp milkweed (A. incarnata).t2 8 [2422[25_0][25J25a1_5.3J
However,A. incarnata is an early successional) plant that usually grows at the margins of wetlands and in
seasonally flooded areas. The plant is slow to spread via seeds, does not spread by runners and tends to
disappear as vegetative densities increase and habitats dry out.t!0 5Aj Although A. incarnata plants can
survive for up to 20 years, most live only two-five years in gardens. The species is not shade-tolerant and is
not a good vegetative competitor.[3-5--4)
See also
■ Butterfly house �conservato
■ Le idoptera migration
■ Peninsula Point Light, Michigan
References
1. Walker,A.; Thogmartin, W.E.; Oberhauser, K.S.; Pelton, E.M.; Pleasants, J.M. (2022). "Danaus
p/exi https/lwvwv.iu_cnredlist.o_rg/species/159971/8_0672_7�. IUCN_Red List of Threatened S ecies.
2022: e.T159971A806727. d_oi:10.2_3.05/IUCN_.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T15997lA806727.en (htto_s://doi.or /10.
2_305%2FIUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T15997lA806727.en). Retrieved December 6, 2022.
2. "gyratory Monarch Butte(.hops://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194052138/200522253). /UCN Red
List of Threatened Species.
3. Committee On Generic Nomenclature, Royal Entomological Society of London (2007) [1934]. The
Generic Names of British Insects https://books.google.com/books?id=h o1AAAAM6AJ). Royal
Entomological Society of London Committee on Generic Nomenclature, Committee on Generic
Nomenclature. British Museum (Natural History). Dept. of Entomology. p. 20.
4. Scudder Samuel H.; William M. Davis; Charles W. Woodworth; Leland O. Howard; Charles V. Riley;
Samuel W. Williston (1989). The butterflies of the eastern United States and Canada with special
reference to New End►/and(https://archiye.orc,�/detailslbub�b MOXnYGtuxxOC�.The author. p. 721 htt
ps://archive.ora/details/bub_gb MOXnYGtuxxOCpage/n749). ISBN 978-0-665-26322-4.
5. Agrawal,Anurag (March 7, 2017). Monarchs and Milkweed.Aerating Butte rfl , a Poisonous Plant,
and Their Remarkable Story of Coevol_ution_(https://books.google.com/books?id=PAhpD0 QBAJ).
Princeton University Press. ISBN 9781400884766.
6. Savela, Markku (February 25, 2019). "Danaus leippus(Linnaeus, 1758y' (hftps://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/
sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidontera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/d_anainae/danausl#plexippus).
Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved July 11, 2020. —�
7. "Conserving_Monarch Butterflies and their Habitats" Q t s:Hblogs.usda.gov/2015/06/16/conserving-gl n
arch-butterflies-and-their-habitats/). USDA. 2015.

Virginia Spirea
Virginia Spiraea (Spiraea virginiana)is found in the Appalachian plateau or the southern Blue Ridge
Mountains and is listed by the US Fish and Wildlife in the ECOS as Endangered (wherever found)and is
listed as being in or believed to be in,Mitchell County. A species search shows it is not present on the
proposed mine site but is present in the South Toe River which flows through Yancey County and the
Nolichucky River which borders Mitchell County.
Virginia Spirea is not believed to be on the site due to the habitat requirements and the location of the
site and area.

�l U.S.Fish&Wildlife Service
ECOS
ES.(25 /
Virginia spiraea (Spiraea virginiana) ` w
Range Information I Candidate Info I Federal Reidste lRecovery iCritical Habitat 15M I Conservation
Plans [Petitions I Biological Opinions I Life H!smu.
Taxonomy: view taxonomy in!T!S Search f Images on
digitalmedia.fws.go v
Listing Status: Threatened
Where Listed:WHEREVER FOUND
General Information
The Virginia spiraea is found in the Appalachian Plateaus or the southern Blue Ridge Mountains in Alabama,Ohio,West Virginia,Virginia,
Tennessee,North Carolina,Kentucky,and Georgia.It no longer occurs in Pennsylvania.This plant was first discovered In Virginia in 1985.
Most of the existing populations consist of only a few clumps.Mature plants reach a height of three to ten feet Young stems are greenish-
yellow to dark brown and mature stems are dark gray.The roots form a complex system.The creamy white flowers are in tightly packed
bunches.
The species historical range Included Alabama,Georgia,Kentucky,North Carolina,Ohio,Pennsylvania,
Tennessee,Virginia,West Virginia.See below for information about where the species Is known or believed
to occur.
Current Listing Status Summary
Show ip v entries
Status _ Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
Showing 1 to 1 of i entries < Previous 1 Next >
le Range Information
Current Range - _ -
12A et Lost updated41544-21=-wherewrfound
Zoom in!Some species'locations may be small and hard to see from a wide perspective.To narrow-in on locations,check the state and
county lists(below)and then use the zoom tool.
Want the FWS's current range for all species?Click here to download a zip file containing all individual shapefiles and metadata for all
species.
*For consultation needs do not use only this current range map,please use IPaL
Current range maps are only shown within the Jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America.The species may also occur
outside this region.
Cdumbve PIldadelphla
SPtln9fitla Innlanapdu.
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• Wherever found
Listing status: Threatened
c States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur.Georgia,Kentucky,North Carolina,Ohio,
Tennessee,Virginia,West Virginia
o US Counties in which this population Is known to or is believed to occur:View All
o USFWS Refuges in which this population Is known to occur:
»Candidate Information
No Candidate information available for this species.
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
No Candidate Notice of Review Documents currently available forthis species.
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
»Federal Register Documents
Federal Register Documents
Show 10 entries
Supporting
Date Citation Page Title Documents
09/04/2019 84 FR 46562 Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of Seven Northeastern SneciULB'p-quest for
46563 Information
01/23/2008 73 FR 3991 3993 Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 10 Listed Species
06/15/1990 55 FR 24241 EnME,Threatened Status Determined for Soiraea vlrginiana -iCginia s ip raea);-U
24247 FR 24241 24247
07/21/1989 54 FR 30577 ETWP;pLgposed Threatened Status for 5oirae A ginla0A-(Ykgha-5W[aeal;54 FR
Showing 1 to 4 of 4 entries < Previous 1 Next >
»Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
No Species Status Assessments(SSA's)are currently available for this species.
Special Rule Publications
No Special Rule Publications currently available for this species.
Recovery
• Species with Recovery.Documents Data Explorer
• Recovery Priority Number.8
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Show io entries
Plan - Recovery SSAs/Biological Recovery Implementation
Date Stage Plan Implementation Status Reports Strategies

11/13/1992 Final Yjtgtja_Spjfaea View Implementation
4 F
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Other Recovery Documents
Note:This report_ includes actual Five Year Review completions and notices as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions and notices.
Show io v entries
Date Citation Page Title Document Type
09/04/2019 84 FR 46562 46563 Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of Seven Northeastern Species; . Five Year Review Notice,Info
-equest for Information Solicitation
01/23/2008 73 FIR 3991 3993 Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 10 Listed S[,=je j . Five Year Review Notice,Info
cnlirirorinn
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Five Year Reviews
Note:This report includes actual FiVe Year Review completions as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions.
Show 10 v entries
Date Title
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
V
No Delisting Documents currently available for this species.
u Critical Habitat
No Critical Habitat Documents currently available for this species.
to Conservation Plans
No Conservation Plans currently available for this species.
is Petitions
No Petitions currently available for this species.
» Biological Opinions
Show io v entries
so - Activity Lead
date Lead Offlce Title Code Project Type Location Agency Document

10/16/2020 Branch of Reinitiation 09E31000- Mining-Subsurface Office of %QWL aLQF
National formal 2020-F- Exploration-Coal, Mining Surface )tendered
Consultations consultation: 0001 -Subsurface Extraction- Mining lFinall 09E31
OSMRE's Coal,Mining-Subsurface 2021-E-0000
regulatory Leasing-Coal,Mining-
program- Subsurface Reclamation-
SMCRATitleV Coal,Mining-Surface
Exploration-Coal, Mining
-Surface Extraction-Coal,
Mining-Surface
Reclamation-Coal
11/21/2017 West Virginia Mountain Valley 05E2WV00- OIL OR GAS PIPELINE Bi9J-4glGdLQG
Ecological Pipeline Project 2015-F- Rendered
Services Field 0046 (E.Indi) DSE2V
Office 2018-E-0328!
03/01/2012 West Virginia BA-Upper 51412- Forestry-Other Forest BJigggk"l;
Ecological Greenbrier 2011-F- Service Rendered
Services Field North Project 0209 (Final) 05E2V
Office 2012-E-0015:
Showing 1 to 5 of 5 entries < Previous 1 Next >
To see all Issued Biological Opinions please visit the rem
» Life History
Habitat Requirements
Virginia spiraea is found along scoured banks of high gradient streams or on meander scrolls,point bars,
.../ natural levees,and braided features of lower stream reaches.In Virginia,soils are sandy,silty,or clay and
elevation range is 1000-2400 feet.If the roots are exposed,they will give rise to upright stems.
Reproductive Strategy
Seed production Is sporadic and seedlings have never been documented in the wild.Sexual reproduction is
rare indicating the genetic variability within and probably between stream occurrences is low.Few mature
seeds and no seedlings have been observed.Little population expansion has been reported.Late summer
and fall flower bunches often dry and persist during the winter,making field identification possible.
Other
Fragmentation by erosion or scour and subsequent downstream travel may be the most important means
of dispersal for this species.The most important factor in maintaining this plant seems to be removal of
woody competition by erosion.Scour must be sufficient to remove woody trees and vines without washing
out the horizontal root.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Rem—Nature5erve Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation
information on more than 50,000 plants,animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada.
Nature5erve Explorer provides In-depth information on rare and endangered species,but includes
common plants and animals too.Nature5erve Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with
the Natural Heritage Network.
JTIS Repgrts--ITIS(the Integrated Taxonomic Information System)is a source for authoritative taxonomic
Information on plants,animals,fungi,and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Dig@al Media Library--The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable
N,,/ collection of selected Images,historical artifacts,audio clips,publications,and video."+

WIKIPEDIA
Spiraea virginiana
Spiraea virginiana is a rare species of flowering plant in the
rose family (Rosaceae) known by the common names Virginia Spiraea virginiana
meadowsweetW and Puginia spiraea. It is native to the
southern Apygachian Mountains, where it has a distribution
scattered across nine states. However, most populations are
very small and poor in quality. It is threatened by disturbances
in the hydrology of its habitat, introduced species of plants, and
other threats. It is a federally listed threatened species of the ;n _
United States.Lli
This plant is a shrub growing one to three meters (3-10 feet)
tall. It is clonal, with several cloned individuals growing in
clumps. The leaves are variable in shape and size and may have
smooth or toothed edges. The inflorescence is a dense corymb
of many cream-white flowers, each flower about o.6
centimeters wide. The fruit is a follicle. Flowering occurs in I
June and July. Though the plant produces many flowers, it
rarely reproduces sexually and rarely produces seeds. Instead, it
reproduces vegetatively by cloning, producing many new
sprouts which grow into shrubs.a There are fewer than 30
genotypes in total, meaning there are fewer than 30 individual I Conservation status
sets of genes; all the other plants are clones of one of the .30 Presumed
Extinct At Ask Secure
types.-l.11
GX1 :GH: f,G1) �,G3' IG4! 'G5:
This plant is a rare member of the flora in the southern Imperiled (Nature3ervePi
Appalachians. It grows in riparian habitat, such as floodplains
and riverbanks. When it was determined to be a threatened Scientific classification
species in 1990 there were 24 known occurrences in six states. Kingdom: Plantae
It could be found at two creeks in Georgia, the New River, Little
Tennessee River, Nolichucky River, and South Toe River in Clade: Tracheophytes
_North Carolina, the Clear Fork and other rivers in Tennessee, I Clade: Angiosperms
the Russell Fork, Pound River, New River, and Guest River in
Virginia, the Bluestone River, Buckhannon River, Gauley River, I Clade: Eudicots
and Meadow River in West_Virg jR a, Rockcastle River and other ( Glade: Rosids
creeks in Kentucky, and other rivers. Besides these populations
there are occasional occurrences along rivers and creeks L41 It is I Order: Rosales
also known from Alabama and Ohio.151 It is thought to have I Family: Rosaceae
been extirpated from the state of Penns ly vania, due to the
changes to the Youghiogheny River (the "Tough") caused by I Genus: S�raea
damming-W I Species: S. virginiana
This shrub grows in cracks in rocks alongside flowing water. It I Binomial name
has a fibrous mass of roots and lateral rhizomes that anchor it, Spiraea virginiana
and even if most of the plant is ripped away during flooding, it

easily resprouts from remnants of the rhizomes.r33 It is often _ Britt.
found growing in sandstone bedrock, gravel bars, nooks
between boulders, and in riverborne deposits of debris, rubble, and silt. It is adapted to periodic
flooding, scouring, erosion, and deposition of litter. Other plants in the habitat may include hazel
elder (Alnus serrulata), silkydoanod (Cornus amomum),jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), creepers
(Parthenocissus), ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), scamore species (Platanus), blackberries
(Rubus), willow species (Salix), American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), soapworts
(Saponaria), greenbrier species (Smilax), goldenrod species (Solidago), and poison __ivy
(Toxicodendron radicans).W
The plant is threatened by its small numbers, alterations in the hydrology of its riparian habitat, and
habitat fragmentation. Populations are isolated from one another, reducing the frequency of its rare
sexual reproduction even further. Populations are small; though the plant is adapted to a regime of
flooding, unusually large floods have the potential to wipe out small populations. The invasion of
introduced plant species, including the shrub's relative, 2j!iraea_gponica (Japanese s ip raea), may be
a threat because of competition-W
References
1. Spiraea virginiana. http://www.natureserve.orglexplorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Spira
ea+virginiana NatureServe. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
2. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Spiraea virginiana" (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home/plantProftle?symb
of=SPV12). The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant
Data Team. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
3. Spiraea virginiana. (http:/lwww.centerforplantconservation.org/collection/cpc view rofiile.asp?CP
CNum=4076) Center for Plant Conservation. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
4. USFWS. Threatened Status Determined for Spiraea virginiana (Virginia spiraea).(httes:Hecos.fw
s.gov/docs/federal_register/frl 712.pdf) Federal Register(June 15, 1990). Retrieved August 4,
2011.
5. USFWS. S.�a virginiana Species Profile_ihftps://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesPro
file.action?spcode=Q2R1). Retrieved August 4, 2011.
Retrieved from"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spiraea virginiana&oldid=1020479420"
This page was last edited on 29 April 2021, at 09:19 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; additional terms may apply. By using
this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Wikipedia@ is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Rock Gnome Lichen
Rock Gnome Lichen (Gymnoderma lineare)is found in the southern Appalachian Mountains and is listed
by the US Fish and Wildlife in the ECOS as Endangered and is listed as being in or believed to be in
Mitchell County. A species search shows it is not present on the proposed mine site but is present in the
higher elevations such as Roan Mountain where the area is bathed in fog or in lower elevations in deep
gorges.
No rock out-cropping's have been noted in the area to be permitted and it also does not fit within the
habitat requirements.

Rock Gnome Lichen
FWS Focus
Overview
ScientiNc Name
Gymnoderma lineore
Common Name
Rock gnome lichen
FWS Category
Lichens
Kingdom
Fungi(Ispecies/fungi)
Location in Taxonomic Tree A()
Genus
Gymnoderma(/taxonomic-tree/33460)
Species
`/ -Gymnodermalineore(/taxonomic-tree/33461)
Identification Numbers
TSN:A()
189994(https://www itis.gov/semiet/Sing[eRpt/Sing[eRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=189994)
Geography
NTERAC IVE MAP(/SPECIES/ROCK-GNOME-LICHEN-GYMNOVERMA-LINEARE/MAP)
+
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AA
-
I.,
}

r 1 { a
4 .
la T
ti
I
( "-- Leallet llM1tM//lea6eryzswnll P. by Est{ 101.Svcs MaR�S FWS
Timeline
Explore the information available forth is taxon's timeline.You can select an event on the timeline to view more information,or cycle through the content
available in the carousel below.
61TEM5
4
0.
4 Apr 11,2019
h
® Five Year Review(Information Solicitation)
Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 36 Southeastern Species
Publication type:Notice
Population:
VIEW FEDERAL REGISTER DOCUMENT(/NODE/95660)
ITEM 6
Key:
o Event ® Regulatory Status Change
Refine Your Search
Content Type
O Critical Habitat
❑ Five Year Review

❑ Listing
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Information & Media
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Rock Gnome Lichen 5-Year Review 2020(/node/65862)
Rock gnome lichen(Gymnoderma lineare)5-Year Review:Summary and Evaluation Addendum
Five Year Review
Aug 27,2020
Final
Rock gnome lichen(Gymnoderma lineare)5-Year Review:Summary and Evaluation(/node/64761)
Five Year Review
Mar 28,2013
Final
Kimberly Maison(/staff profile/kimberly-maison)
Fish and Wildlife Biologist-Endangered Species Program
Ecological Services
Expertise: Contact for spruce-fir moss spider,rock gnome lichen,Carolina northern flying squirrel,Roan Mountain bluet,Virginia
(/staff sneezeweed
profile/kimber(y- Contact
maison) Area:VA
Abingdon,VA
ETWP;Proposed Endangered Status for Gymnoderma Lineare(/species-pu blication-actio n/etwp-proposed-en da n gered-status-
ymnoderma-lineare)
\ Listing
Dec 28,1993
Proposed

ENCYCLopedia•com
Rock Gnome Lichen
CENGAGE Views 1,224,309 updated
Rock Gnome Lichen
Gymnoderma lineare
Status Endangered
Listed January 18, 1995
Family Cladoniaceae
Description Lichen with blue-gray terminal portions of lobes
and shiny white on the lower surface.
Igneous, metamorphic, and metasedimentary
Habitat rocks; warm and moderately wet summers,
moderately cold and moderately dry winters, and
a short freeze-free period.
Highway construction, recreation, balsam wooly
Threats
adelgid, air pollution (/science-and-
tech nology/b iology-and-geneti cs/environmental-
studies/ai r-pollution).
Georgia, North Carolina (/places/united-states-
and-canada/us-political-ggography/north-
Range Carolina),, South Carolina (/places/united-states-
a nd-canad a/us-political-geography/south-
carolina), Tennessee
Description
Rock gnome lichen, Gymnoderma lineare, occurs in rather dense colonies of narrow straps or
small scales, called squamules. The only similar lichens are the squamulose species of the
genus Cladonia. Rock gnome lichen has terminal portions of the strap-like individual lobes that
are blue-gray on the upper surface and generally shiny white on the lower surface; near the
base they grade to black. In rock gnome lichen, the sparingly branched squamules are dark
greenish mineral grey on the lower surface, becoming white to brownish toward the tips,
tapering to the blackened base. The squamules are nearly parallel to the rock surface, but the
tips curl away from the rock, approaching or reaching a perpendicular orientation to the rock

surface.The fruiting bodies (apothecia)are borne at the tips of the squamules and are black.
The apothecia are borne singly or in clusters, usually at the tips of the squamules but
occasionally along the sides; these have been found from July through September. The
� apothecia are cylindrical in shape and radial in symmetry. The primary means of propagation
of this lichen appears to be asexual, with colonies spreading by clones.
G. /ineare is the only member of its genus occurring in North America (/places/oceans-
continents-and-polar-regions/oceans-and-continents/north-america); the other two species
occur in the mountains of Japan and Eastern Asia, including the Himalayas.
Habitat
The rocks on which this lichen grows are of several types, including igneous, metamorphic,
and metasedimentary rocks such as quartz diorite, garnet-rich biotite, muscovite and quartz
schist, quartz phyllite, metagraywacke, metaconglomerate, and metarkoses containing
feldspar and chlorite, amphibole, hornblende, and feldspar gneiss. The general area has warm
and moderately wet summers, moderately cold and moderately dry winters, and a short
freeze-free period.Annual rainfall at four occupied sites has ranged from 41 to 102 in (104.1 to
259.1 cm),with snowfall ranging from 4 to 101 in (10.1 to 256.5 cm).Average winter
temperatures range from 50 to 480F (-1 T to 8.9°C), and average summer temperatures range
from 49"to 73°F (9.40 to 22.80C).

Rock gnome lichen is primarily limited to vertical rock faces where seepage water from forest
soils above flows at very wet times. It appears that the species needs a moderate amount of
light but that it cannot tolerate high-intensity solar radiation. It does well on moist, generally
open, sites with northern exposures, but needs at least partial canopy coverage where the
aspect is southern or western. It is almost always found growing with the moss Andreaea
and/or Grimmia in these vertical intermittent seeps. This association makes it rather easy to
search for, due to the distinctive reddish brown color of Andreaea that can be observed from a
considerable distance. Most populations occur above 5,000 ft(1524 m) in elevation. Common
associates of this species include the endangered Geum radiatum and Houstonia purpurea
ssp. montana.The high-elevation coniferous forests adjacent to the rock outcrops and cliffs
most often occupied by the species are dominated by red spruce (Picea rubens)and a
species of concern, Fraser fir(Abiesfraseri), with northern hardwoods such as sugar maple
(Acer saccharum ), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), mountain maple (A. spicata ),
mountain ash (/plants-and-animals/ llants/plants/mountain-ash)(Sorbus americanus), and
beech (Fagus grandifolia ) mixed in.
Distribution
Rock gnome lichen is endemic to the southern Appalachian Mountains (/places/united-states-
and-Canada/us-physical-geography/appalachian-mountains)of North Carolina &laces/united-
states-and-canada/us-political-geograp hy/north-Carolina), South Carolina (/p laces/united-
states-and-canada/us-political-geography/south-Carolina),,Tennessee, and Georgia and occurs
only in areas of high humidity, either at high elevations,where it is frequently bathed in fog, or
in deep gorges at lower elevations. In Tennessee it is apparently restricted to the Great Smoky_
Mountains(/places/united-states-and-canadalus-physical-ggographylgreat-smoky-mountains)
and Roan Mountain.
Only 35 populations of rock gnome lichen are currently known to exist. Five populations are
known to have been extirpated. The remaining populations are in Mitchell (two populations),
Jackson (five), Yancey (four), Swain (one),Transylvania (four), Buncombe (four),Avery (two),
Ashe (two), Haywood (one), and Rutherford (one) Counties, North Carolina; Greenville County
(one), South Carolina; Rabun County(one), Georgia; and Sevier(seven)and Carter(part of
this one population is on the state line with Mitchell County, North Carolina)Counties,
Tennessee.

Threats
Although some populations are declining and vanishing for reasons that are, in many cases,
not clearly understood, there are several major threats to the remaining lichen populations.
Five historically known populations of this species have been completely extirpated.The
reasons for the disappearance of the species at most of these sites are undocumented;
however, one is believed to have been destroyed by highway construction. Most of the
formerly occupied sites are subjected to heavy recreational use by hikers, climbers, and
sightseers. In addition, the coniferous forests, particularly those dominated by Fraser fir at the
high-elevation sites, are being decimated by the balsam wooly adelgid, an exotic insect pest,
and possibly by air pollution (/science-and-technologyfbiology-and-genetics/environmentai-
studies/air-gollution).Widespread mortality of mature fir due to the balsam wooly adelgid has
resulted in locally drastic changes in microclimate, including desiccation and increased
temperatures.
Numerous lichen species are known to be sensitive to air pollution. Documented declines of
lichen species have been recorded in the forests of Europe and nearby large industrial cities
around the world. Research indicates that rock gnome lichen colonies in the poorest health
have a higher content of sulfur compounds than colonies which appeared to be healthy.
Furthermore, the species appears to have specific environmental needs, such as a narrow pH
range and sulfur deposits. Initial research indicates there is a high likelihood that current and
previous air pollution levels, especially from sulfates, may be contributing to the decline of this
species.

Only eight of the remaining 35 populations cover an area larger than 21.5 sq ft (2 sq m). Most
are 10.8 sq ft (1 sq m) or less in size. It is unknown what constitutes a genetic individual in this
species, and it is possible that each of these small colonies or patches consists of only a single
clone. Over the past decade several of the currently extant populations have undergone
significant declines, some within as little as one year.Although al but five of the remaining
populations are in public ownershipp(/social-sciences-and-law/economics-business-and-
labor/economics-terms-and-concepts/public-ownership), many continue to be affected by
collectors, recreational use, and environmental factors.Although no populations are known to
have been lost as a result of logging operations, it is interesting to note that most of the
remaining stream corridor populations occur in areas of old-growth forest.
Conservation and Recovery
In addition to the efforts taken to conserve habitat sites in the national forests, the U.S. Forest
Service, the National Park Service, and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service have cooperatively
funded investigations of the lichen's response to air pollution at different sites.
Contact
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Regional Office, Division of Endangered Species
1875 Century Blvd., Suite 200
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
hft;2://southeast.fws.gov/ ham://southeast.fws.gov/)
References
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 18 January 1995. "De-termination of Gymnoderma lineare
(Rock Gnome Lichen)to be an Endangered Species."Federal Register(/social-sciences-and-
law/law/law/federal-register)60 (11): 3557-3562.
1.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1997. "Recovery Plan for Rock Gnome Lichen (Gymnoderma
lineare ) (Evans)Yoshimura and Sharp."Atlanta, Georgia. 30 pp.

Migratory birds
'\./ Certain birds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act
Any person or organization who plans or conducts activities that may result in impacts to migratory birds,
eagles,and their habitats should follow appropriate regulations and consider implementing appropriate
conservation measures, as described below.
The birds listed below are birds of particular concern either because they occur on the USFWS
Birds of Conservation Concern(BCC)list or warrant special attention in your project location.
Haliaeetus I�=u�_ce.�phale� Bald Eagle
%wool
Cardellina canadensis Canada Warbler
• No photo available
Chimney Swift
� r
x
Vermivor3 chrysoptera Golden-winged Warbler

Oporomis formosus Kentucky Warbler
4
Dendroica discolor Prairie Warbler
Euphagus carolinus Rusty Blackbird
�\
Hylocichlamustelina Wood Thrush
I

Bald Eagle(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
' The Bald Eagle is listed as a bird of conservation concern and although it has been removed from the
endangered species list it still remains under the protection of the Bald and Golden Eagle protection act.
The Bald Eagle is a conservation success story and in 2018-2019 there were 316,700 individual eagles
which included 71,467 matting pairs. The site to be permitted is outside of the waters edge where the
eagle nests and the species should not be effected by the proposed operations.

41, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Bald Eagle Biology Breeding bald eagles typically lay one
Distinguished in the adult plumage by to three eggs once a year,and they
a white head and white tail,bald eagles hatch after about 35 days.The young
are powerful,brown birds that may eagles are flying within three months
weigh 14 pounds and have a wingspan and are on their own about a month
of 8 feet.Male eagles are smaller, later.However,disease,lack of food,
weighing as much as 10 pounds and bad weather,or human interference can
have a wingspan of 6 feet.Sometimes kill many eaglets.Recent studies show
confused with golden eagles,bald that approximately 70 percent survive
eagles are mostly dark brown until they their first year of life.
are four to five years old and acquire
their characteristic coloring.There is The Plight of the Bald Eagle
a distinction between the two species, When America adopted the bald
though,even during the early years. eagle as the national symbol in 1782,
Only the tops of the bald eagle's legs anecdotal accounts stated the country
have feathers.The legs of golden eagles may have had as many as 100,000
are feathered all the way down. nesting eagles.The first major decline
of the species probably began in the
Bald eagles live near rivers,lakes,and mid to late 1800's,coinciding with the
marshes where they can find fish,their decline of waterfowl,shorebirds,and
staple food.As their populations grow, other prey.
however,bald eagles are expanding
,lam their range,even nesting in urban Although they primarily eat fish
areas.Bald eagles will also feed on and carrion,bald eagles used to be
waterfowl,turtles,rabbits,snakes,and considered marauders that preyed on
other small animals and carrion. chickens,lambs,and domestic livestock.
�( Consequently,the large raptors
} Bald eagles require a good food base, were shot in an effort to eliminate a
F perching areas,and nesting sites.Their perceived threat.Coupled with the
Jim Hud&.-VUaFWa habitat includes estuaries,large lakes, loss of nesting habitat,bald eagle
reservoirs,rivers,and some seacoasts. populations declined.
A North American species with a In winter,the birds congregate near
historic range from Alaska and Canada open water in tall trees for spotting In 1940,noting that the species was
to northern Mexico,the bald eagle is an prey and night roosts for sheltering. "threatened with extinction,"Congress
Endangered Species Act success story. passed the Bald Eagle Protection
Bald eagles usually choose the tops of Act,which prohibited killing,selling,
Forty years ago,our national symbol large trees to build nests,which they or possessing the species.A 1962
was in danger of extinction throughout typically use and enlarge each year. amendment added the golden eagle,
most of its range.Habitat destruction However,nests have also been found on and the law became the Bald and
and degradation,illegal shooting,and cliffs,the ground,and even on human- Golden Eagle Protection Act.
the contamination of its food source, made structures like cell phone towers.
largely as a consequence of DDT, Shortly after World War II,DDT was
decimated the eagle population. Nests may reach 10 feet across and hailed as a new pesticide to control
weigh a half ton.Bald eagles may mosquitoes and other insects.However,
The federal government's banning of also have one or more alternate nests DDT and its residues washed into
DDT and related pesticides,habitat within their breeding territory.The nearby waterways,where aquatic \�
protection afforded by the Endangered birds travel great distances but usually plants and fish absorbed it.Bald eagles,
Species Act,and conservation actions return to breeding grounds within 100 in turn,were poisoned with DDT when
taken by the American public have miles of the place where they were they ate the contaminated fish.The
helped bald eagles make a remarkable raised.Bald eagles may live lb to 25 chemical interfered with the ability of
recovery. years in the wild,longer in captivity. the birds to produce strong eggshells.

As a result,their eggs had shells so
thin that they often broke during
incubation or otherwise failed to hatch.
DDT also affected other species such as
peregrine falcons and brown pelicans.
\./`Some other pesticides related to DDT
are suspected to have caused increased
mortality,in addition to the harmful
effects on reproduction.
By 1963,with only 417 nesting pairs of
bald eagles known to exist,the species
was in danger of extinction.
The Road Back
As the dangers of DDT became known,
in large part due to the 1962 publication
of Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring,
the Environmental Protection Agency
took the historic and,at the time, l
controversial step of banning the use
of DDT and some related pesticides in �►
the United States.That was in 1972,
and it was the first step on the road to
recovery for the bald eagle. Or
In 1967,the Secretary of Interior s
listed bald eagles south of the 40th S
parallel under the Endangered Species
Preservation Act of 1966.Following
enactment of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973,the Service listed
the species in 1978 as endangered Tom xcerner/U3FW5
hroughout the lower 48 states,except
in Michigan,Minnesota,Oregon, Endangered Species Act.Thus,on June Although the Service removed the
Washington,and Wisconsin where it 28,2007,the Service announced the bald eagle from the list of threatened
was designated as threatened. recovery of our nation's symbol and and endangered species under the
removal from the list of threatened and Endangered Species Act,the bird
The species was not listed as endangered species. continues to be protected by the
threatened or endangered in Hawaii Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the
because it does not occur there,or in Continued Population Growth Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Alaska because populations there have In 2016,the Service published the bald Both laws prohibit killing,selling or
remained robust. eagle population status report as part otherwise harming eagles,their nests,
of a Programmatic Environmental or eggs.
Listing the species as endangered Impact Statement.In that report which
provided the springboard for the analyzed data from 2009,the bald eagle The Service developed guidelines
Service and its partners to accelerate population in the lower 48 status was to help landowners avoid disturbing
the pace of recovery through captive estimated to be 72,434 individuals, eagles and encourage beneficial
breeding programs,reintroduction including 30,548 breeding pairs. conservation practices.
efforts,law enforcement,and nest site
protection during the breeding season. Then in 2021,the Service published For more information on the recovery
a technical update that provided the of bald eagles,please visit https://
Population Milestones newest estimates for the bald eagle www.fws.gov/birds/management/
In July 1995,the Service announced population in the lower 48 states for managed-species/eagle-managementphp
that bald eagles in the lower 48 states the period 2018-2019,totaling 316,700
had recovered to the point where those individuals,which included 71,467
populations previously considered breeding pairs.
endangered could be reclassified to the
less critical category of threatened. What Lies Ahead
The recovery of the bald eagle is one U.S.Fish&Wildlife Service
Then in 2007,the Service estimated of the most well-known conservation Migratory Bird Program
there were at least 9,789 nesting success stories of all time.The Service 5275 Leesburg Pike,MS:MB
*,.,.,pairs of bald eagles in the contiguous continues to work with our partners in Falls Church,VA 22041
United States.Bald eagles staged a state and federal agencies,tribes,non-
remarkable population rebound and government organizations and private 703/358-1714
recovered to the point that they no landowners to ensure that our nation's www.fws.gov/birds/
longer needed the protection of the symbol flourishes.
Febuary 2021

I ine > Si, le > Bii ds.Repldre S O:Irei Ve4atue{?5
bald eagle
bird , J
Alternate IWO:Amemmn bald eagle.11a1iomtu5 le lwoepaaWs V
By lloyd Kill •test Updated:Dec B.2022-Al lid,leauryy
Table of Contents
Q
1%ftwo,
bald eagle
See all media
Related Topks:eagle•sea eagle•Haliaeetus
See all related content
Summary
Read a brief summary of this topic

�._
s
i
bald eagles
bald eagle, (Haliaeetus leucocephalus),the only eagle solely native to North America,and the national bird of the United States.
1
bald eagle
The bald eagle is actually a sea eagle(Haliaeetus species)that commonly occurs inland along rivers and large lakes.The adult male is
about go cm(36 inches)long and has a wingspan of 2 metres(6.6 feet).Females,which grow somewhat larger than males,may reach
io8 cm(43 inches)in length and have a wingspan of 2.5 metres(8 feet).Both sexes are dark brown,with a white head and tail.The
bird is not actually bald;its name derives from the conspicuous appearance of its white-feathered head.The beak,eyes,and feet are
yellow.
antannwa Quiz Ultimate Animals Quiz
`,�eChe bald eagle's nest is a large platform of sticks built atop a large,isolated tree or pi nnacic of rock located within easy flight of water.
Nests are usually about 1.5 metres(5 feet)wide,but old nests can be almost twice this size.The two or three eggs laid within take
slightly longer than a month to hatch.Both parents share in the incubi t ion and feeding of the young.The immature birds are brown
with whitish tail and wing linings,but the pure white head and tail plum age do not appear until the birds are four to five years old.

Q Subunbe e
bald eagle = Table of Contents
Study the migratory,predatory,and living habits of North American bald eaglesr -
Bald eagles pluck IL.I, out of the water with their talons,and sometimes they follow seabirds as a means of locating fish.Bald eagles
also rob ry w, of their fish.Besides live fish,bald eagles also prey on other birds,small mammals,snakes,turtles,and crabs,and
they readily eat carrion.

a
Bald eagles may have numbered in the hundreds of thousands when they were declared the American national bird in 1782,but their
numbers steadily declined over the next two centuries owing to human activities and persecution.The birds were hunted for sport,for
bounties offered by state and federal governments,and because they were thought to menace livestock.In Alaska,where eagles
................
perched on fish traps and scared away the salmon(an annoyance eventually overcome by fitting the traps with devices to discourage
perching),Alaskan bounty hunters killed more than ioo,000 eagles in the period 1917-52.The U.S.govemment's Bald Eagle
Protection Act of 1940 made it illegal to kill bald eagles(Alaska was exempt),but the birds'numbers continued to decline,primarily
because of the effects of the pesticide DDT,which came into widespread agricultural use after World War 11.This pesticide
accumulated in the birds'tissues and interfered with the formation of the shells of their eggs;the thin,weak shells laid by heavily
`woOrontaminated birds were easily broken and fewer young were produced.By the early 196os,the number of bald eagles in the
coterminous tl nited States had dropped to fewer than 45o nesting pairs.
.......................

- Q
bald eagle
In 1972 the use of DDT was banned in the United States,and in 1978 the U.S,government declared the bald eagle an endangered
species in all but a few of the northernmost states.By the late i98os,these measures bad enabled the birds to replenish their numbers
in the wild.The bald eagle was reclassified from endangered to threatened status in 1995,by which time there were an estimated
4,500 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states.By z000 the population had increased to more than 6,300 pairs,and in 2007 the bald eagle
was removed from the U.S.list of endangered and threatened species.
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Like all harks and eagles,thebald eagle belongs to the family Accipitridae of the order Falconiforme.s.
uoyd Kiry
Home s Soeme > Birds,B pFles&Othev Veitebltes > A rds
Sea eagle : Anmb l
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-: Table of Contents
�l

Canada Warbler
Canada Warbler(Cardellina canadensis) is listed as a bird of conservation concern and is under the
protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the United States and is listed as threatened in Canada.
The Canada Warbler is a migratory bird that spends the summer breeding season primarily in Canada
(82%) and the winter months its range extends from Guyana to northeast Bolivia to the north and
western side of the Andrean crest. The Canada Warbler likes to nest in thickets and forest bogs. It is not
believed that the permitting of this site will have any negative effects on the Canada Warbler due to
habitat.

Canada Warbler
Overview
ScientiNc Name
Cordellina mnodensis
Common Name
Canada Warbler
Kingdom
Animal is(Ispecies/animals-onimolia)
Location in Taxonomic Tree 0()
Genus
"Cordellino(/taxonomic-tree/31161)
Species
-Cardellina conadensis(/taxonomic-tree/48527)
Identification Numbers
TSN:0()
950079(https://w .itis.gov/serAet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic--TSN&search_va(ue=950079)
Geography
AUH CH INTEP 4C r IVE MAP(ISPECIES/CANADA-WARBLER-CARDELLINA-CANADENSIS/MAP)
I Ilk
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WIKIPEDIA
Canada warbler
The Canada warbler (Cardellina canadensis) is a small
boreal s2Nkwd of the New World warbler family(Parulidae). It Canada warbler
summers in Canada and northeastern United States and
winters in northern South America.
I � I
Contents
Taxonomy
Descri tion Male
Song
Distribution and habitat
Behavior and ecology
Breeding
Food and feeding_ i
Diseases and parasites
Status
In art
References Female showing characteristic lighter
General sources neck markings and grey top plumage
Further reading Conservation status
Least
External links Extinct Threatened concern
JCRIi (DVU ;N J 4
Taxonomy Least Concern puct s.1�11
Scientific classification
In i76o the French zoologist Mathurin Jacciues Brisson
included a description of the Canada warbler in his I Kingdom: Animalia i
ornithologie based on a specimen collected in Canada. He used Phylum: Chordate
the French name Le gobe-mouche cendre de Canada and the -'
Latin name Muscicapa Canadensis Cinerea.i11 Although Brissn I Class: Aves
coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial I Order: Pas_serif_or_mes
system and are not recognised by the International Commission j
�n Zogica olol Nomenclature.131 When in 1766 the Swedish I Family: Parulidae
',ftAaturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systems Naturae for the I Genus: Card_el_lina
twelfth edition, he added 24o species that had been previously C. c
described by Brisson.0 one of these was the Canada warbler. I Species: C. anadensis
Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial I Binomial name

name Muscicapa canadensis and cited Brisson's work(A) The Cardellina canadensis
species is now placed in the &enus Cardellina that was (Linnaeus, 1766)
introduced by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte
in 18565-3 The species is mono ic.t6l
Description
The Canada warbler is sometimes called the "necklaced
warbler", because of the band of dark streaks across its chest.
The adults have minimal sexual dimorphism, although the
male's "necklace" is darker and more conspicuous and also has
a longer tail. Adults are 12-15 cm (4.7-5.9 in) long, have a
wingspan of 17-22 cm (6.7-8.7 in) and weigh 9-13 g (0.32-
0.46 oz). i
Range of C. canadensis
The chest, throat and belly of the bird is yellow, and its back is ❑Breeding range
dark grey. It has no wingbars or tail spots, but the underside of ❑Wintering range
the tail is white. It has a yellow line in front of its eye in the
direction of the beak, but the most striking facial feature is the Synonyms
white eyerings or "spectacles".181 Immature specimens have
similar coloration as adults but duller and with less pronounced I Muscicapa canadensis
facial features 01 I Linnaeus, 1766
i
Wilsonia canadensis I
Song I (Linnaeus, 1766)
The 14)song of this bird is loud and highly variable, resembling chip chewy sweet dichetty.Their calls
are low chup's.
A 2013 study showed that male Canada warblers have two performance-encoded song types. In Mode
I, used mostly during the day, when unpaired either alone or near a female during early nesting,
involves stereotyped songs sung slowly and regularly. Mode Il, used at dawn, after pairing and when
near another male, involves variable songs, sung rapidly with irregular rhythm and chippipng
between songs. Most of the phrases used were common to both modes, a feature unique among
parulids,which ordinarily have an individual's repertoire separated into two distinct parts.2
In 200o, a female Canada warbler (or a post-hatching year old male that failed to moult, something
never before observed) in Giles County, Virginia was observed singing. Its repertoire consisted of a
repeated song of 12 to 13 notes as well as several shorter songs consisting of the first five or six notes
of the longer song. The bird did not respond to playback of its own song or a recording of a male.
Although female singing among the parulids has long been considered "idiosyncratic", singing by
female Canada warblers is supported by observation of female singing in conZener Wilson's warbler
and the closely related hooded warbler.Llol
Distribution and habitat
During the breeding season 82% of the population can be found in Canada and 18% in the United,
States.42 In Canada the summer range extends from southeastern Yukon to Nova Scotia. In the
United States the range extends from northern Minnesota to northern Pennsylvania, east to Long

Island, New York. It also nests in the high Appalachians as far south as Geor ia.1li1 In winter the
Canada warbler's range extends from Guyana to northwestern Bolivia around the northern and
western side of the Andean crest.[121
.n both summer and winter seasons the Canada warbler inhabits moist thickets. During the breeding
lftw�eason the bird "nests in riparian thickets, brushy ravines, forest bogs, etc. at a wide range of
elevations and across a variety of forest types. In the northwestern parts of its range it frequents aspen
forests; in the center of the range, it is found in forested wetlands and swamps; and in the south it
occupies montane rhododendron thickets.11�1" In the winter it prefers mid- and upper-elevation
habitats-L" In northern Minnesota a study found that Canada warblers inhabited the shrub-forest
edge, rather than marture forests or open fields with shrub.C-D-1 In New England the Canada warbler
was found to be "disturbance specialists" moving into patches of forests recovering from wind throw
or timber removal.L'41 Because of its preference for low-height foraging in deciduous forests, it may be
bounded at higher elevations as suitable habitat disappears and suffer competition from the black-
throated blue warbler which prefers similar habitats.[151
Two accidentals have been observed in Europe. The first a moribund male caught in Sandger6i,
Iceland on September 29, 1973. The second was a first winter, probably female observed for five days
in October 2oo6 in County Clare, Ireland. 161
Migration
The Canada warbler is one of the last birds to arrive at the breeding grounds and one of the first to
leave.They may spend only two months there.They fly at night along a route generally south and west
'-o the Texas coast, then to southern Mexico. The arrive at the winter grounds in northwestern South
`"woAmerica in late September to early October.[121
Behavior and ecology
Breeding
At least 6o-65% of the population nests in boreal forests in Canada, the Great Lakes region of the
United States, New England and through the Appalachians.LLI The birds are at least seasonally
monogamous. Sightings of pairs during migration in Panama have led to the conclusion that they are
permanently monogamous.L171 This conclusion, however, is contradicted by the sexes' wintering at
different elevations. I21
Males arrive at the breeding grounds in the first two weeks of May.i111 Females build the nests on or
very close to the ground in dense cover. The nests are made up of root masses, hummocks, stumps,
stream banks, mossy logs,and sometimes leaf litter and grass clumps.Moss covering is frequent.LI21
The female lays four to five eggs and incubates for about 12 days. The chicks remain in the nest for
about 10 days after hatching and are dependent on their parents for two to three weeks after they
leave the nest. 1s1
"I " e age at which the young leave the nest is not known. Once independent they spend almost all their
time in the understory, on the ground or in bushes.L"i The post juvenile bird undergoes a partial
moult involving all body feathers and wing coverlets. This may be completed before the first

migration. N-3
The oldest known specimen was a male found in Quebec in 1982 at least 8 years old, having been
banded in 1975. 20]
Food and feeding
The Canada warbler eats insects for the most part, including beetles, mosquitoes, flies, moths, and
smooth caterpillars such as cankerworms, supplemented by spiders, snails, worms, and, at least
seasonally, fruit."" 'l It employs several foraging tactics, such as flushing insects from foliage and
catching them on the wing (which it does more frequently than other warblers),L123 and searching
upon the ground among fallen leaves..
111 When they occasionally hover glean, males tend to fly higher
than females on breeding grounds.E12 In the tropics of South America, it forages in mixed flocks with
other birds, usually 3-30 feet above ground in denser foliage.LW
Diseases and parasites
In the summer of 1947 a single specimen of Canada warbler from Virginia (and one specimen of
another warbler from Georgia) were found to be hosts of a new species of acanthocephalan worm,
which was named Apororhynchus amphistomi, the third species of that genus and the first in North
America.L211 In the southern part of the breeding range,nest parasitism by cowbirds is frequent. 12
Status
Partners in Flight estimates a global population of 4 million,L22]while the American Bird Conservancy
estimates that 1.5 million individuals exist.-K3
Threats to the Canada warbler include forest fragmentation; over-browsing of the understory by deer,
acid rain, and the spread of the woolly adelgid (a killer of fir and hemlock trees).LK) Owing to these
factors the Breeding Bird Survey data show a population decline of 3.2 percent per year throughout
the Canada warbler's breeding range, with the greatest declines in the Northeast.MME231 The species
has been assessed as "threatened" by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in
Canada-M The IUCN,however, ranks the Canada warbler as a species of least concern Wl
The Canada warbler is protected at the federal level in both Canada and the United States.[lg]
In art
John James Audubon illustrates the Canada warbler in Birds o America (published, London 1827-
38) as Plate 73 entitled"Bonaparte's Flycatching-Warbler—Muscicapa bonapartii."The single female
(now properly identified as a Canada warbler) is shown perched in a great magnolia (�nolia
gran di ora)branch that was painted by Joseph Mason. The final, combined image was engraved and
colored by Robert Havell Jr. at the Havell workshops in London.The original painting was purchased
by the New York Historical Society.
References

1. BirdLife International. 2016. Cardellina canadensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
2016: e.T22721882A94737489. https://dx.doi.or /�10_ .2305/IUCN.UK.2016-
3.RLTS.T22721882A94737489.en. Downloaded on 09 April 2021.
2. Brisson, Mathurin Jacques (1760). _Om_ithologie, ou, M6thode contenant la division des oiseaux en
ordres, sections, ,genres, especes & leurs varidt6s (https:Hbiodiversi!ylibrary.org/page/36011718)
(in French and Latin). Vol. 2. Paris: Jean-Baptiste Bauche. pp. 406-408, Plate 39 fig 4. The two
stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination
of a specimen.
3. Allen, J.A. (1910). "Collation of Brisson's genera of birds with those of Linnaeus". Bulletin of the
American Museum of Natural History. 28: 317--335. hdl:2246/678 (https://hd1.handle.net/2246%2F
678 .
4. Linnaeus, Car! (1766). stema naturae :Der re na tria natura, secundum classes, ordines,
genera, species cum characteribus,differentiis, synonymis, locis https://biodiversitylibrary.or /pa
ge/42946523) (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (12th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 327.
5. Bonaparte,_Charles Lucien (1850). Conspectus generum avium ttps1/biodiversit_y_library.org/pag
e/43560473} (in Latin). Vol. 1. Lugduni Batavorum [Leiden]: E.J. Brill. p. 312.
6. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2018). "New World warblers, mitrospin id tanagers„ ://www.
worldbirdnames.org/bow/warblers/). World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists'
Union. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
7. "Canada Warbler-Life Histo https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada,WarbledlifehistgN).
Comell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
8. "Canada Warbler-Identification" (https://www.allabouthirds.org/ uq ide/Canada Warblerlid .
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
9. Demko,Alana D.; Reitsma, Leonard R.; Staicer, Cynthia A. (October 2013). "Two song categories
in the Canada Warbler Cardellina canadensis " htt s://www.research ate.net/pubiication/274239
8 . The Auk. 130 (4): 609-16. doi:10.1525/auk.2013.13059 (https://doi.om/10.1525%2Fauk.201
3.13059 . JSTOR 10.1525/auk.2013.13059 (https://www.jstor.oM/stable/10.1525/auk.2013.1305
9 . S2CID 83993091 https:/lapi.sernanticscholar.or /g Corp uslD:83993091 . Retrieved 28 April
2019.
10. Etterson, Matthew A. (2003). "An Observation of Singing by a Female-Plumaged Canada
Warbler". Southeastern Naturalist. 2 (2): 419-22. doi:10.1656/1528-
7092(2003)002[0419:aoosba]2.0.co;2 (https://doi.org/10.1656%2F1528-7092%282003%29002%
5B0419%3Aaoosba%5D2.0.co%3B2). JSTOR 3878011 https://www.6stor.org/stable/3878011 .
11. "Canada Warbler" (http://www.audubon.o[g/field-guide/bird/canada-warbler). Audubon Guide to
North American Birds. 13 November 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
12. "Canada warblee' (hftp://www.borealbirds.org ird/canada-warb Boreal Songbird Initiative. 25
February 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
13. Collins, Scott L.; James, Frances C.; Risser, Paul G. (1982). "Habitat Relationships of Wood
Warblers Parulidae in Northern Central Minneso hftp://collins.itemet.edu/biblio/habitat-relations
hips-wood-warblers-parulidae-northern-central-minnesota). Oikos. 39 (1): 50-58.
doi:10.230713544530 (hftps://doi.org/10.2307%2F3544530). JSTOR 3544530 (https://www.jstor.or
g/stable/3544530}. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
14. Chace, Jameson F.; Faccio, Steven D.; Chacko, Abraham (2009). "Canada Warbler Habitat Use
of Northern Hardwoods in Vermont" (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232683973l.�
Northeastern Naturalist. 16 (4): 491-500. doi:10.1656/045.016.n401 (https://doi.oM/10.1656%2FO
45.016.n401 . JSTOR 27744588 htt s://wwwstor.orq/stable/27744588). S2CID 86430663 htt_
s:Hapi.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:86

15. Sabo, Stephen R. (June 1980). "Niche and Habitat Relations in Subalpine Bird Communities of
the White Mountains of New Hampshire". Ecological Monographs. 50 (2): 241-59.
doi:10.2307/1942481 (https:Hdoi.org/10.2307%2F1942481). JSTOR 1942481 (https://www.jstor.or
/stable/1942481).
16. Hanafin, Maurice (2006). "The Canada Warbler in County Clare-The Second for Western
Pa lea rctic" (http://www.i rbc.ie/notes/ dp f/CanadaWarblerinCo.Clare(MauriceHanafin . d (PDF).
Birding World. 19 (10): 429-34. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
17. Greenberg, Russell S.; Gradwohl, Judy A. (October 1980). "Observations of Paired Canada
Warblers Wilsonia canadensis during Migration in Panama". Ibis. 122 (4): 509-12.
doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1980.tb00907.x hftps.//doi.org/10-111102Fj.1474-919X.1980.tb00907.
x) ---
18. "Species Profile: Canada Warbler" (https://web.archive.or /web/20140909231344/http:llwww.sara
registr_y.gc.ca/specieslspeciesDetails e.cfm?sid=1008). Species at Risk Public Registry.
Government of Canada. May 29, 2014. Archived from the original .(http://www.sararegistry. c.ca/s
pecieslspeciesDetails e.cfm?sid=1008) on September 9, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
19. Hanafin 2006, p. 434.
20. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (2016). "Longevity Records of North American Birds" (ht
tps://www. wp rc:usgs.gov/bbi/iongevit /fin evit main.cfm). U.S. Geological Survey. Department
of the Interior. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
21. Byrd, Elon E.; Denton, Fred (August 1949). "The Helminth Parasites of Birds. ll. A New Species of
Acanthocephala from North American Birds". The Journal of Parasitology. 35 (4): 391-410.
doi:10.2307/3273430 (https://doi org/10.2307%2F3273430). JSTOR3273430 (hftps://www.jstor.or
q//stable/3273430). PMID 18133320 hftps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1813332 .
22. "Species Assessment Database" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160821000851/http://rmbo.o
fassessment/Database. Partners in Flight.Archived from the on final (hftp://'rmbo.ora/.Difass
A-
essment/Database.aspx) on August 21, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
23. "Canada Warbler" (https://abcbirds.o_rg/bird/canada-warbler/?gclid=CjwKEAiAm8nCBRD7xLj 2aW
Fyz8SJAAQNalabtPgHXz1 dLpot8bhZkv8vLaciiauRiE0cl4QKXUvKBoC Jrw w American Bird
Conservancy. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
24. USGS Paxtuxent Wildlife Research Center (2016). "Canada Warbler, Cardellina canadensis:
North American Breeding Bird Survey Trend Results" (https://www.mbr pwrc.usgs.gov/chi-bin/atla
sal5.pl?06860&1&15&csrfmidddlewaretoken 3YKakk7LxT2ki6NSpi4mstudYCgdW02C). U.S.
Geological Survey. Department of Interior. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
25. "Warbler, Canada" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140606234613/http://Www.cosewic.gc.ca/eng/s
ctl/searchdetail e.cfm?id=1008#). Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada
(COSEWIC). Government of Canada. November 11, 2011. Archived from the original(http://www.
cosewic.gc.ca/eng/sctl/searchdetail_e.cfm?id=1008) on 2014-06-06. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
General sources
■ Bent,Arthur Cleveland (1953). "Canada Warbler". Life Histories of North American Wood
_Warblers: Order Passeriformes https://archive.org/details/lifehistoriesofn0016bent . Washington,
D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 646 htt s:Harc_hive.o_r /details/lifehistoriesofn0016ben
t/page/646�56. LCCN 53061305 (ttps:Hlccn.loc.gov/53061305.. Hosted online by HathiTrust (htt
Ra:://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001 502g
• Conway, Courtney J. (1999). Canada Warbler(Wilsonia canadensis). The Birds of North America:ll...1
Life Histories for the 21 st Century (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, series editors). Vol. 421.
Washington, D.C.: American Ornithologists' Union.

■ Dunn, Jon J.; Garrett, Kimball L. (1997). A Field Guide to Warblers of North Ame s://archiv
e.org/details/fie uidetowarb00dunn . Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN 978-0395389713.
'Further reading
. Barrowclough, GF; Corbin, KW (1978). "Genetic Variation and Differentiation in the Parulidae".
Auk. 95 (4): 691-702.
■ Caroline, G; Marcel, D; Jean-Pierre, LS; Jean, H (2004). "Are temperate mixedwood forests
perceived by birds as a distinct forest type?". Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 34 (9): 1895.
doi:10.1139/x04-087 (https://doi.org/l0.1139%2Fx04-087).
■ Christian, DP; Hanowski, JM; Reuvers-House, M; Niemi, GJ; Blake, JG; Berguson, WE (1996).
"Effects of mechanical strip thinning of aspen on small mammals and breeding birds in northern
Minnesota, U.S.A". Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 26 (7): 1284-1294. doi:10.11391x26-
143 (https:Hdoi.org/l0.1139%2Fx26-143).
■ Crawford, HS; Jennings, DT (1989). "Predation by Birds on Spruce Budworm Choristoneura-
Fumiferana Functional Numerical and Total Responses". Ecology. 70 (1): 152-163.
doi:10.2307/1938422 (https:Hdoi.org/l 0.2307%2F1938422 . JSTOR 1938422 (https://www.'stonor
g/stable/1938422).
■ Dunn, EH; Nol, E (1980). "Age Related Migratory Behavior of Warblers". Joumal of Field
Omithology. 51 (3): 254-269.
■ Golet, FC; Wang, Y; Merrow, JS; DeRagon, WR (2001). "Relationship between habitat and
landscape features and the avian community of red maple swamps in southern Rhode Island".
Wilson Bulletin. 113 (2): 217 227. doi:10.1676/0043-5643(2001)113 0217:rbhalfj2_0.co;2 (https://d
oi.orr /10.1676%2F0043-5643%282001 0/o29l l 3%5B0217%3Arbhalf%5D2.0.co%3B2).
■ Hobson, KA; Bayne, E (2000). "The effects of stand age on avian communities in aspen-
dominated forests of central Saskatchewan, Canada". Forest Ecology& Management. 136 (1-3):
121-134. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.532.1080 https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.
532.1080 . doi:10.1016/s0378-1127(99)00287-x (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fs0378-1127%2899%
2900287-x .
■ Hobson, KA; Schieck, J (1999). "Changes in bird communities in boreal mixedwood forest:
Harvest and wildfire effects over 30 years". Ecological Applications. 9 (3): 849-863.
doi:10.1890/1051-0761(1999)009 00849:cibcib12.0.co;2 (https://doi.org/10.1890%2F1051-0761%2
81999%29009%5B08_49%3Acibcib%°5D2.0.co%3B2}. S2CID 28285190 (htt s:/p /api.semanticschol
ar.org/CorpuslD:28285190).
■ Jones, SE (1977). "Coexistence in Mixed Species Antwren Flocks". Oikos. 29 (2): 366-375.
doi:10.2307/3543628 (https://doi.oM/10.2307%2F3543628). JSTOR 3543628 (hit sp .//www.'stor.or
g/stable/3543628).
■ Lacki, MJ (2000). "Surveys of bird communities on Little Black and Black mountains: Implications
for long-tern conservation of Montane birds in Kentucky". Journal of the Kentucky Academy of
Science. 61 (1): 50-59.
■ Lebbin, DJ (2004). "Unusual June record of Canada Warbler (Wilsonia canadensis) in Bolivar,
Venezuela". Omitologia Neotropical. 15 (1): 143-144.
■ Merrill, SB; Cuthbert, FJ; Oehlert, G (1998). "Residual patches and their contribution to forest-bird
diversity on northern Minnesota aspen clearcuts". Conservation Biology. 12 (1): 190-199.
doi:10.1111/j.1 523-1739.1998.96067.x (hftps://doi.org/l 0.1111%2Fj.1523-1739.1998.96067.x .
■ Mitchell, JM (1999). "Habitat relationships of five northern bird species breeding in hemlock
ravines in Ohio, USA". Natural Areas Journal. 19 (1): 3-11.
■ Morris, SR; Richmond, ME; Holmes, DW (1994). "Patterns of stopover by warblers during spring
and fall migration on Appledore Island, Maine". Wilson Bulletin. 106 (4): 703-718.

• Morse, DH (1977). "The Occupation of Small Islands by Passerine Birds". Condor. 79 (4): 399-
412. d_oi:10.2307/1367719 (hftps://doi.org/10.2307%2F1367719). JSTOR 13677.19 (httr)s://www.'p
tor.or /stable/1367719�.
• Patten, MA; Burger, JC (1998). "Spruce budworm outbreaks and the incidence of vagrancy in
eastern North American wood-warblers". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 76 (3): 433-439. 1,,,,,✓'
doi:10.1139/z97-213-1https://doi.org/10.1139`/*2Fz97-213 .
■ Prins, TG; Debrot,AO (1996). "First record of the Canada Warbler for Bonaire, Netherlands
Antilles". Caribbean Journal of Science. 32 (2): 248-249.
■ Rappole, JH (1983). "Analysis of Plumage Variation in the Canada Warbler". Journal of Field
Ornithology. 54 (2): 152-159.
■ Robinson, SK; Fitzpatrick, JW; Terborgh, J (1995). "Distribution and habitat use of neotropical
mi rg ant landbirds in the Amazon basin and Andes" https://doi.q /10.1017%_2Fs09_59_27_09000010
64). Bird Conservation International. 5 (2-3): 305-323. doi:10.1017/s0959270900001064 (https_//
doi.org/10.1017%2FsO959270900001064).
■ Sabo, SR; Whittaker, RH (1979). "Bird Niches in a Subalpine Forest an Indirect Ordination" http
s://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.nov/-pmc/articles/PMC38_3246) Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences of the United States of America. 76 (3): 1338-1342. Bibcode:1 979PNAS...76.1338S htt
ps:Hui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1979PNAS...76. . doi:10.10731pnas.76.3.1338 htt s://doi.o
r /10.1073%2F nas.76.3.13 PMC 383246 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8
3246 . PMID 16592631_(hftps:// ubmed.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/16592631).
■ Skinner, C (2003). "A breeding bird survey of the natural areas at Holden Arboretum". Ohio
Journal of Science. 103 (4): 98-110.
• Sodhi, NS; Paszkowski, CA(1995). "Habitat use and foraging behavior of four parulid warblers in
a second-growth forest". Journal of Field Ornithology. 66 (2): 277-288.
■ Weakland, CA; Wood, PB; Ford, WM (2002). "Responses of songbirds to diameter-limit cutting in
the central Appalachians of West Virginia, USA". Forest Ecology and Management. 155 (1-3): `...f
115-129. doi:10.1016/s0378-1127(01)00552-7 (hftps://doi.org
900552-7j.i
External links
■ "Canada warbler media" f https://www.hbw.com/ibc/species/Canada-warbler-wilsonia-canadensis .
Internet Bird Collection.
■ Canada warbler Species Account (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Canada
Warble - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Canada warbler- Wilsonia canadensis (https://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framIsVi6860id.html) -
USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
■ Canada warbler photo ,gallery (http://vireo.acnatsci.or- /ssearch.html?Form=Search&SEARCHBY=
Common&K_EY_WORDS=canada+warbler&s_howwh_at=images&AGE=AII&SEX=AI1&ACT=AII&Sear
ch=Search&VIEW=AII&ORIENTATION=AII&RESULTS=24),at VIREO (Drexel University)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php.fitle=Canada_warbler&oldid=1109699212"
This page was last edited on 11 September 2022, at 11:15(UTC).
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Chimney Swift
Chimney Swift(Chaetura peiagica)is listed as a bird of conservation concern and is under the protection
of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Chimney Swift Migrates to South America in the colder winter
month and then to the middle and eastern United States in the warmer summer months.
Like all swifts the Chimney Swift is not capable of perching and can only cling vertically to surfaces such
as chimneys,air shafts,wells and other man-made structures. There are no man-made structures such
as chimneys planned for this project and permitting would have no adverse effect on the Chimney Swift.
�J

Chimney Swift
i FWS Focus
Overview
Scientific Name
Chaetura pelagica
Common Name
Chimney Swift
FINS Category
Birds
Kingdom
Animolia(/species/animals-onimolia)
Location in Taxonomic Tree 0 Q
Genus
�Chaetura(/taxonomic-tree/30768)
Species
�Chaetura pelagica(/taxonomic-tree/30769)
Identification Numbers
TSN:0 ()
178001(https://www.itis.gov/se"tet/Sing[eRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic--TSN&search_value=178001)
Geography
CH INTERAC V-. MAP(/SPECIES/CHIMNEY-SWIFT-CHAETURA-PELAGICA/MAP)
i
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dal t 11�

WTKIPEDiA
Chimney swift
The chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica) is a bird belonging
to the swift family Apodidae. A member of the genus Chaetura, Chimney swift
it is closely related to both the Vaux's swift and the Chapman's
swift; in the past, the three were sometimes considered to be !
conspecific. It has no subspecies. The chimney swift is a
medium-sized, sooty gray bird with very long, slender wings
and very short legs. Like all swifts, it is incapable of perching,
and can only cling vertically to surfaces.
The chimney swift feeds primarily on flying insects, but also on
airborne spiders. It generally mates for life. It builds a bracket
nest of twigs and saliva stuck to a vertical surface, which is
almost always a human-built structure,typically a chimney.The
female lays 4-5 white eggs. The altricial young hatch after Flying in Texas, United States
ig days and fledge a month later. The average chimney swift I Conservation status
lives 4.6 years. I Least
EAnct Threatened Concern
O(i�l E"I 0
i Contents Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)[11 U
Taxonomy and systematics I Scientific classification
Descri tp ion I Kingdom: Animalia i
Similar s ecies
� I Phylum: Chordata
Distribution and habitat
� I Class: Aves
Behavior
Feeding. ( Order: Apodiformes 1
Breeding I Family: AApodidae
Predators and parasites Genus: Chaetura `
Voice
Species: C. pelagica
Conservation status ,
History of observation I Binomial name i
Notes Chaetura pelagica
References
(Linnaeus, 1758) i
—
J Cited texts
External links
Taxonomy and systematics

When Carl Linnaeus first described the chimney swift in 1758,
he named it Hirundo pelagica, believing it to be a swallow.l2!
This misconception continued well into the 1800s, with
nithologists calling it "American Swallow" (e.g. Mark
atesby)14? or "Chimney Swallow' (e.g. John James
Audubon).W In 1825, James Francis Stephens moved this and
other small, short-tailed New World swifts to the genus
Chaetura, where it has since remained, although some
authorities in the i800s assigned it to a variety of now obsolete
genera.lb3 It has no subspecies.Ul The chimney swift's closest
relative is Vaux's swift. Scientists believe that the two species
evolved from_a common ancestor that was forced to North
America's southeastern and southwestern corners by glacial
advances. Separated for millennia by vast ice sheets, the
survivors evolved into two species which are still separated by a
wide gap across the continent's midsection.f8! It is also closely Range of chimney swift
related to the Chapman's swift; in the past, the three were Breeding range
sometimes treated as a single species.97
Wintering range
The chimney swift's genus name, Chaetura, is a combination of Slrnonyms
two Ancient Greek words: chaite, which means "bristle" or i
"spine", and oura which means "tail". This is an apt description Hirundo pelagica protonymO
of the bird's tail, as the shafts of all ten tail feathers (rectrices) Chaetura pelasgia Stephens, '
end in sharp, protruding points.110 The specific name pelagica 182521131 —
derived from the Greek word pelagikos, which means "of the
'*sea"JL1 l This is thought to be a reference to its nomadic lifestyle
rather than to any reference to the sea, ) a theory strengthened by the Iaer assignment of the
specific name pelasgia (after the nomadic Pelas;Zi tribe of ancient Greece) to the same species by
other ornithologists.[11)Its common name refers to its preferred nesting site and its speedy flight)
Description
This is a medium-sized swift, measuring from 12 to 15 cm (4.9 to 5.9 in) in length,lnb 17 with a
wingspan of 27 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in) and a weight ranging from 17 to 30 g (o.6o to 1.o6 oz).M!The
sexes are identical in plumage,116 though males average slightly heavier than females.116 The adult's
plumage is a dark sooty olive above and grayish brown below,with a slightly paler rump and uppertail
covert feathers, and a significantly paler throat.TZ Its upperparts are the most uniformly colored of
all the Chaetura swifts, showing little contrast between back and rump.L8U Its beak is black, as are its
feet and legs. Its iris is dark brown.1''9-3 Juvenal plumage (that held by juvenile birds)is very similar to
that of adults,but with whitish tips to the outer webs of the secondaries and tertials. 2O3
The chimney swift's wings are slender, curved and long,1211 extending as much as 1.5 in (3.8 cm)
beyond the bird's tail when folded.[ ] Its wingtips are pointed, which helps to decrease air turbulence
(and therefore drama ) during flight.L2NI Its humerus (the bone in the inner part of the wing) is quite
hort, while the bones farther out (more distally) along the wing are elongated, a combination which
allows the bird to flap very quickly.E41 In flight, it holds its wings stiffly, alternating between rapid,
quivering flaps and longer glides. Its flight profile is widely described as a "cigar with wings"—a
description first used by Roger Tory Peterson.I211 Although the bird often appears to beat its wings

asynchronously during flight, photographic and stroboscopic studies have shown that it beats them in
unison. The illusion that it does otherwise is heightened by its very fast and highly erratic flight, with
many rapid changes of direction.[2 1
The legs of the chimney swift, like those of all swifts, are very short. �61 Its feet are small but strong...
v short that are tipped with sharp, curved claws I�1 The toes are anisodac 1—thre
with very sho toes a pp rp, �
forward, one back—like those of most birds, but the chimney swift can swivel its back toe (its hallux)
forward to help it get a better grip. Unlike the legs and feet of most birds, those of the chimney swift
have no scales; instead, they are covered with smooth skin.L12J
Its tail is short and square,-NA measuring only 4.8 to 5.5 cm (Y.90 to 2.1.5 in) in length.E-19-3 All ten of its
tail feathers have shafts which extend as much as 1.3 cm (0.5 in) beyond the vanes, ending in sharp,
stiff points.(1°1 These help the bird to prop itself against vertical surfaces.[281
The chimney swift has large, deep set eyes. These are protected by small patches of coarse, black,
bristly feathers, which are located in front of each eye. The swift can change the angle of these
feathers, which may help to reduce are. It is far-si ted and, like some birds of per, this swift is
bifoveal: each eye having both a temporal and a central foveajnb 2_These are small depressions in the
retina where visual acuity is highest,29] and help to make its vision especially acute.[32-1 Like most
vertebrates, it is able to focus both eyes at once; however, it is also able to focus a single eye
independently.L291
Its bill is very small, with a culmen that measures a mere 5 mm (0.20 in) in lengthJ311 However, its
.ape is huge, extending back below its eyes, and allowing the bird to open its mouth very wid.ely.1321
Unlike many insectivorous birds, it lacks rictal bristles at the base of the beak.-123j
Similar species
The chimney swift looks very much like the closely related Vaux's swift, but is slightly larger, with
relatively longer wings and tail, slower wingbeats JA and a greater tendency to soar.L2zj It tends to be
darker on the breast and rump than the Vaux's swift, though there is some overlap in plumage
coloring.L34 It can be as much as 30 percent heavier than Vaux's swift, and its wings, which are
proportionately narrower, show a pronounced bulge in the inner secondaries. The chimney swift is
smaller, paler and shorter tailed than the black swift. In Central America, it is most similar to
Chapman's swift, but it is paler (matte olive rather than glossy black) and has a stronger contrast
between its pale throat and the rest of its underparts than does its more uniformly colored relative.EP-1
Distribution and habitat
A widespread breeding visitor to much of the eastern half of the United States and the southern
reaches of eastern Canada, the chimney swift migrates to South America for the winter. It is a rare
summer visitor to the western U.S,U361 and has been recorded as a vagrant in Anguilla, Barbados,
Greenland, Jamaica, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the U.S. Virgin IslandsJIt is found over
open country, savanna,wooded slopes and humid forests.�-�

The chimney swift's wintering grounds were only discovered in
1944, when bands from birds banded (ringed) in North America
were recovered in Peru.(381 An indi enous Peruvian had been
wearing the bands as a necklace.L9
``/
Behavior
The chimney swift is a gr�Zarious species, and is seldom seen
alone. It generally hunts in groups of two or three, migrates in chimney swifts, like these in a
loose flocks of 6-2o, and (once the breeding season is over) sleeps chimney in Missouri, united states,
in huge communal roosts of hundreds or thousands of birds.L�'J roost communally when not
Like all swifts, it is a superb aerialist, and only rarely seen at rest. breeding.
It drinks on the wing, skimming the surface of the water with its
beak.L491 It also bathes on the wing, gliding above the surface of a
body of water,briefly smacking its breast into the water,then flying off again, shaking its feathers as it
goes.Lisl It has been recorded by pilots flying more than a mile above the surface of the earth,
including one seen at 7,300 ft (2,200 m).-f4-3 It is incapable of perching upright like most birds do;
instead, it clings to vertical surfacesAA1 If it is disturbed while at rest, the chimney swift will clap its
wings loudly once or twice against its body; it does this either in place, or while dropping down
several feet to a lower location. This behavior can result in a loud"thundering" sound if large roosts of
the birds are disturbed. The sound is thought to be the bird's way of scaring away potential
predators.
'seeding
.me
Like all swifts, the chimney swift forages on the wing.-M Studies have shown that 95 percent of its
food items are flying insects, including various species of flies, ants, wasps, bees, whiteflies, aphids,
scale insects, stoneflies and mayflies. It also eats airborne s ip ders drifting on their threa6.0703 It is an
important predator of pest species such as the red imported fire antwl and the clover root
curculio.-E44 Researchers estimate that a pair of adults provisioning a nest with three youngsters
consume the weight equivalent of at least 5000-6000 housefly-sized insects per day.WJ Like many
bird species, the chimney swift periodically coughs up pellets composed of indigestible bits of prey
items.La61
During the breeding season, at least half of the chimney swift's forays occur within o.5 km (0.3 mi) of
its nest; however, it ranges up to 6 km (3.7 mi) away.L`1 While most of its food is seized following
aerial pursuit, some is gleaned from the foliage of trees; the bird hovers near the ends of branches or
drops through upper canopy levels.L48' The chimney swift generally flies quite high, though it
descends during cold or rainy weather.L--9l When feeding, it regularly occurs in small groups, and
sometimes hunts with swallows, particularly barn swallows and purple martinsjL ' in mixed-s ep cies
flocks, it is typically among the lower fliers. i1 There is at least one record of a chimney swift
attempting to steal a dragonfly from a purple martin, and it has been observed chasing other purple
martins. 5° lr general, it is a diurnal feeder which remains active into early evening. However, there
are records, particularly during migration periods, of chimney swifts feeding well after dark over
brightly lit buildings.Ls�1

The species shows two-weight peaks each year: one at the start of the breeding season, and a higher
one shortly before it begins its migration south in the autumn. Its lowest weights are typically
recorded during the breeding season, when it also begins a complete molt of its plumage. The
chimney swift's weight gain before mi rg ation is smaller than that of some passerines, suggesting that
it must refuel en route at various stopover points.D5�1
Breeding
The chimney swift is a
monogamous breeder which
normally mates for life, though —
a small percentage of birds —
change partnersA31 Pairs
perform display flights
together, gliding with their _=
wings upraised in a steep "V", _
and sometimes rocking from Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
side to side. Breeding birds --
arrive as early as mid March in
The nest is made of small, short the southern U.S., and as late as mid-May in the Canadian
twigs glued together with saliva. provinces.i2O1
Before the arrival of European colonists into North America, the
chimney swift nested in hollow trees; now, it uses human-built structures almost exclusively.L2$1
While the occasional nest is still built in a hollow tree (or, exceptionally, in an abandoned woodpecker
nest),15-4-1 most are now found inside chimneys,with smaller numbers in airshafts,the dark comers oi~�
lightly used buildings, cistems,LW or wells [5-9 The nest is a shallow bracket made of sticks,which the
birds gather in flight,breaking them off trees. The sticks are glued together (and the nest to a vertical
surface) with copious amounts of the bird's saliva.NZ3 During the breeding season, each adult's
salivary glands more than double in size, from y mm x 2 mm (0.276 in x o.o79 in) in the non-
breeding season to 14 mm x 5 mm (0.55 in x 0.20 in) during the breeding season.1±3
Unlike some swift species, which mate in flight, chimney swifts mate while clinging to a vertical
surface near their nest. 81 They c pulate daily, until the clutch is completeJA The female typically
lays 4-5 eggs,1571 though clutch sizes range from 2 to 7.L52 The eggs, which are long and elliptical in
shape, are moderately glossy, smooth and white, and measure 20 mm x ig mm (o.79 in x o.51 in).-W!
Each weighs nearly io percent of the female's body weightAUl Incubated by both parents, the eggs
hatch after i9 days. Baby chimney swifts are altricial—naked, blind and helpless when they hatch.
Fledglings leave the nest after a month.50
The average chimney swift's life span is 4.6 years,[6o1 but one is known to have lived more than
14 years. It was originally banded as an adult, and was recaptured in another banding operation some
12.5 years later.[6i1
Predators and parasites

Mississippi kites, gegrine falcons and merlins are raptors that are known to take adult chimney
swifts in flight, being among the select few avian hunters fast enough to overtake the appropriately
named swift on the wing.[§�1 Eastern screech-owls have been seen attacking colonies, as have non-
vian predators including eastern rat snakes, northern raccoons and tree squirrels. These are most
`"1'ikely to take nestlings but may take some nesting adults as well.[§[§3I[64 Wh�rbed by potential
predators (including humans) at the colony, adult chimney swifts slap their wings together after
arching back and taking flight, making a very loud noise known either as "booming" or "thunder
noises". When disturbed, nestlings make a loud, raspy raah, raah, raah sound. Both sounds seem
designed to startle potential predators.[65][661
The chimney swift carries a number of internal and external parasites. It is the tR2 host for the
nematode species Aproctella nuda,[6?l the feather mite species Euchineustathia h icapitosetosa,L6s1
and the biting lice species Dennyus dubius,[� and is also known to carry the tapeworm species
Pseudochoanotaenia collocaliae.(703 Its nest is known to host the He'ptera species Cimp-XOPLIS
nyctali, which is similar to the bed bug and can (on rare occasions) become a pest species in
housesJV [72k
Voice
The chimney swift has a twittering call, consisting of a rapid series of hard, high-pitched chirps. It
sometimes gives single chirps.)
Conservation status
In 2010, the International Union for Conservation of Nature changed the s
chimney swift's status from least concern to near threatened. In 2oi8,the
IUCN changed the chimney swift's status from near threatened to
vulnerable. Although the global population is estimated at 7,700,000, it
has declined precipitously across the majority of its range.['[�-1 The causes
of population declines are largely unclear, but may be related to the
alteration of the insect community due to pesticide use in the early half of r
the loth century.iZ31 In Canada, they were listed as threatened by f
COSEWIC for several years with a likely future listing as a Schedule 1
species of the Species at Risk Act. In the U.S., the chimney swift is
protected by the Migr Bird Try Act of 1918. Neither birds nor
nests can be removed from chimneys without a federally-issued
permit.[M] Populations may have increased historically with the
introduction of chimneys to North America by European settlers, purpose-built towers can
providing plentiful nesting opportunities. provide nesting and
roosting locations.
After sudden temperature drops, the chimney swift sometimes hunts low
over concrete roads (presumably following insect prey drawn to the
warmer road), where collisions with vehicles become more likely.UO Severe storms, such as
Hurricanes, encountered during migration can seriously impact the chimney's swift's survival rates.

Swifts caught up in 2005's Hurricane Wilma were swept as far north as Atlantic Canada and Western
Europe. More than 700 were found dead. The following year, roost counts in the province of Quebec,
Canada showed a decrease of 62 percent, and the overall population in the province was halved+
History of observation
In 1899, Mary Day of New Jersey observed a pair of chimney swifts nesting in a chimney, and noted
the incubation period was 19 days. The first detailed study of chimney swifts began in 1915 by self-
taught ornithologist Althea Sherman in Iowa. She commissioned a 28 foot tall tower, of a similar
design to a chimney, with ladders and peep holes installed to facilitate observation. Chimney swifts
nested in her tower, and for over fifteen years,she meticulously recorded her observations, filling over
400 pages.LZ0 Sherman remarked that although the tower had been designed with a limited
knowledge of the nesting behaviour of chimney swifts, after many years of observation she believed
that the original design was ideal.
Notes
1. By convention, length is measured from the tip of the bill to the tip of the tail on a dead bird (or
skin) laid on its back.
2. For more information, see Anatomy of the eye section in the Bird vision article
References
1. BirdLife International (2018). "Chaetura npelagica" (https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22686709/1
31792415�. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22686709A131792415.
dui �.2:1 _ 511IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22686709A131792415.en htt s://doi.or /10.2305%2FIUC
_ 3• -r �...
N.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22686709A131792415. . Retrieved 21 March 2022.
2. Cory, Charles B. (March 1918). Publication 197. Catalogue of Birds of the Americas (https://book
s.ggogle.com/books?id=T2RMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA137). Vol. 13, part 2. Chicago, IL, USA: Field
Museum of Natural History. p. 137.
3. Stephens / Mac uq, art;_Dipt. exot., SuQpl. 4, 271(ex M6m. Soc. Sci. Lille, 1850 (1851), 244L(tt .1
uio.mbi.edu/NZ/d_etaii.php?uid=40230&d=1)Archived https://web.archive.org/web/201604122115
42/hftp://uio.mbi.edu/NZ/detail.php?uid=40230&d=l) 2016-04-12 at the Wayback Machine.
4. Feduccia, Alan, ed. (1999). Catesby's Birds of Colonial America (https:Hbooks.google.com/books?
id=hVVNvPMBGEkC&pg=PA78). Chapel Hill, NC, USA: University of North Carolina Press. p. 78.
ISBN 978-0-8078-4816-6.
5. Audubon, John James (1840). The Birds of America, vol. I (https://archive.00 etails/bir_dsameric
a_OOaudc oo . Philadelphia, PA, USA: J. B. Chevalier. p. 164 (https:Harchive.org/details/birdsameri
ca00audgooglPage/n329).
6. Ridgway, Robert; Friedmann, Herbert (1901). The birds of North and Middle America(https://book
s.google.com/books?id=WYgaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA714). Washington, D.C.: Government
Publishing Office. pp. 714-719. ISBN 9780598370372.
7. Clements, James F.; Diamond, Jared; White, Anthony W.; Fitzpatrick, John W. (2007). The
Clements Checklist of Birds of the World (6th ed.). Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell University Press.
p. 188. ISBN 978-0-8014-4501-9.
8. Newton, Ian (2003). Speciation and Biogeography of Birds (hftps:Hbooks.google.com/books?id=H"%�
HzT7a8LzkgC&Pg=PA296). London, UK: Academic Press. p. 296. ISBN 978-0-08-092499-1.
9. Chantler (1999b), p. 443.

Golden-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler(Vermivora chrysoptera)is listed as a bird of conservation concern and is under
the protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Golden-winged Warbler migrates to Central
America in the colder winter month and then to the North-eastern United States in the warmer summer
months.
During the breeding season,Golden-winged Warblers nest in shrubland and regenerating forest
communities created and maintained by disturbance. Golden-winged Warbler populations are
dependent upon early-successional plant communities which is part of the reason for the declining
population. It is not believed that the permitting of this site will affect the Golden-winged Warbler.

Image Details(/media/467D41)
Golden-winged Warbler
F W 5 Focus
Overview
The golden-winged warbler is a small grey and white bird named for its distinct golden-colored wing bars.This neotropical migrant breeds in the
northern Great Lakes and Champlain regions and throughout the Appalachian Mountain range.During the non-breeding season,golden-winged warblers
migrate to wintering grounds in Central America and the Andes region of Colombia and Venezuela.
The species has shifted northward in its breeding range in recent decades,while experiencing an overall range contraction,disappearing from more of its
range than it has expanded into.This is due in partto loss of the young forest habitat that the species requires for nesting and foraging.Human
development and forest-management practices have created an overabundance of mature forest that is not optimal for golden-winged warbler,and a
shortage of young forest,known as early successional habitat.Another issue Is the closely related blue-winged warbler,which can hybridize with the
golden-winged warbler as the two species'ranges shift into overlapping areas-with negative implications for the golden-winged warbler.A combination
of habitat loss,hybridization,and other threats have landed this species on several state-level endangered and threatened species lists,and made it a
Bird of Conservation Concern for the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service.
Scientific Name
✓ermivora chrysoptera
Common Name
Golden-winged Warbler
FWS Category
Birds
Kingdom
Animolio(/species/animals-onimolia)
Location in Taxonomic Tree 0 0

Getbpnivora(/taxonomic-free/31116)
Species
w Vermivora chrysoptera(/taxonomic-tree/31117)
Identification Numbers
TSN: A()
178852(https://www.itis.gov/serviet/Sing[eRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=178852)
Geography
N ERAC IVE A ' (/SPECIES/GOLDEN-WINGED-WARBLER-VERMIVORA-CHRYSOPTERA/MAP)
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Timeline
Explore the information available for this taxon's timeline.You can select an event on the ti meline to view more information,or cycle through the content
available in the carousel below.
1 ITEMS
4 Jun 2,2011
h
B Listing(Substantial)

WIKIPEDIA
Golden-winged warbler
The golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) is
a New World warbler. It breeds in southeastern and south- Golden-winged warbler
central Canada and in the Appalachian Mountains in
northeastern to north-central United States. The majority
(-7o%) of the global population breeds in Wisconsin,
Minnesota, and Manitoba. Golden-winged warbler populations i
are slowly expanding northwards, but are generally declining
across its range, most likely as a result of habitat loss and
competition/interbreeding with the very closely related blue-
winged warbler, Vermivora cyanoptera. Populations are now
restricted to two regions: the Great Lakes and the Appalachian
Mountains. The Appalachian population has declined 98%
i 6os and is significantly im eriled.L 7 4
since the 9 g y p 2 The U.S. Fish �
and Wildlife Service has been petitioned to list the species
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and is currently
reviewing all information after issuing a positive fmding.fal
Upon review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that the
petition to list the species as endankered or threatened presents
It scientific or commercial information indicating I Male above, female below
that listing the golden-winged warbler may be warranted."-EA! Conservation status
I Least
Extlnct Threatened Concern
( EX- w ((R W
I Contents E • rlLC� I
imology I Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)L1
gtyDescription Scientific classification A
Life history. I Kingdom: Animalia
Habitat Selection I Phylum: Chordata
Hybridization I I Class: Aves
Interspecific interactions
--- — -- � Order: P_asseriformes
References
Family: Parulidae
External links Genus: Vermivora
Etymology i Species: V. chrysoptera
Binomial name
Vermivora chrysoptera
Linnaeus, 1766) `/

The genus name Vermivora is from Latin vermis "worm", and
vorare, "to devour', and the specific chrysoptera is from
Ancient Greek khrusos, "gold", and pteron, "wing"Sal
Description
This is a small warbler, measuring 11.6 cm (4.6 in) long,
weighing 8-10 g (o.28—o.35 oz), and having a wingspan range
20 cm.E61 The male has black throat, black ear patch bordered
in white, and a yellow crown and wing patch. Females appear
similar to males, with a light gray throat and light gray ear
patches. In both sexes, extensive white on the tail is Range of V. chrysoptera (note:
conspicuous from below. Underparts are grayish white and the missing distribution in the Caribbean)
bill is long and slender. Unlike most warblers,juveniles can be Breeding range
reliably sexed (using throat patch color) approximately 15 days
after fledging. Wintering range
anonyms
i
/ ■ Motacilla chrysoptera
Linnaeus, 1766
■ Helminthophila chrysoptera
I (Linnaeus, 1766)
Male Male
lam.
Male Front Male Female
Life history
Golden-winged warblers are migratory,breeding in eastern North America and wintering in southern
Central America and the neighboring regions in Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. They are very
mare vagrants elsewhere.
Golden-winged warblers breed in open scrubby areas, wetlands, and mature forest adjacent to those
habitats. They lay 3-6 eggs (often 5) in a concealed cup nest on the ground or low in a bush.

Golden-winged warblers feed on insects, side_rs, and caterpillars. They have strong gaping (opening)
musculature around their bill, allowing them to uncover hidden caterpillars.
Their song is variable, but is most often perceived as a trilled bzzzzzzz buzz buzz buzz. The call is
buzzy chip or zip. 1*141�
Male Golden-winged warblers use their brilliant yellow crowns, black throats, and white tail feather
patches to signal habitat quality. Birds with more ornate ornaments protect higher quality territories
and are typically less aggressive than their less brilliantly-colored conspecifics. However,
ornamentation has not been shown to be linked with overall reproductive success. This is likely
because golden-winged warblers with less ornamentation likely compensate for this with increased
aggression. 171
Five geotracked golden-winged warblers in Tennessee were observed migrating hundreds of miles
south, presumably avoiding tornadic storms, in April 2014. Individuals left prior to the arrival of the
storm, perhaps after detecting it due to infrasound.L81
Habitat Selection
Golden-winged warblers are neotropical-nearctic migrants, and their habitat selectivity varies
seasonally. Golden-winged warblers wintering in Costa Rica select premontane evergreen forest
rather than tropical dry forest plant communities. Golden-winged warblers forage in hanging dead
leaves,which are often a result of intermediate disturbances to the forest plant community.191
During the breeding season, golden-winged warblers nest in shrubland and regenerating fores'
communities created and maintained by disturbance. This dependency on early-successional plan.
communities is part of the reason golden winged warbler populations are declining. ELO1
Hybridization
This species forms two distinctive hybrids with blue-winged warblers where their ranges overlap in
the _Great Lakes and New Eniland area. The more common, genetically dominant Brewster's
warbler is gray above and whitish (male) or yellow (female) below. It has a black eyestripe and two
white wingbars.
The rarer recessive Lawrence's warbler has a male plumage with green and yellow above and
yellow below, with white wing bars and the same face pattern as male golden-winged. The female is
gray above and whitish below with two yellow wing bars and the same face pattern as female golden-
winged. Another rare recessive hybrid form is Burket's warbler, which has been noted in the same
geographic area as Brewster's and Lawrence's. Burket's warbler was first documented by researchers
at Cornell Universi ^'s Lab of Ornithology.[11][121 Brewster's. Lawrence's, and Burket's warblers can
vary considerably in their physical features and sing songs of either blue-winged or golden-winged
warblers. The colour of the throat patch reliably correlates with hybrid type, but colour of the
underparts is highly variable between different hybrids.[13]
Genetic introgression occurs across their range, producing cryptic hybrids (morphologically pur
individuals with small amounts of blue-winged warbler DNA). These hybrids may be present in low
numbers even on the edges of golden-winged warbler range, far from any populations of blue-winged
warblers.

Hybridization between golden-winged warblers and blue-winged warblers is likely occurring at a
much higher rate than initially thought. Genetic analysis has allowed scientists to more accurately
quantify extra-pair copulation, and one study showed EPC was occurring in 55% of golden-winged
warbler nests, resulting in phenotypic golden-winged warblers that were actually hybrids.f-I
raditional indicators of the hybrid status of an individual, such as colouration of the underparts, are
also
Interspecific interactions
In 2015, scientists observed a strange event. A female golden-winged warbler abandoned her two
fledgling chicks 5 and 9 days after fledging. The two chicks were subsequently "adopted" by a male
black-and-white warbler, which fed the fledglings for 23 days until they reached independence.M
References
1. BirdLife International (2018). "Vermivora chrvso_ptera" (hftps://www.iucnredlist.org/sp cies/227216
18/132145282 . IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22721618A132145282.
doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22721618A132145282.en (https://doi.oM/10.2305%2FIUC
N.UK.2_018-2.RLTS.T22721618A132145282.en). Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. "Golden-winged Warbler: Conservation Strategy and Resources".fttt s://www.birds.comell.edu/ho
me%golden-winged-warbler-conservation-strategy-and-resources/). Birds, Cornell Lab of
Ornithology. 2019-05-07. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
3. "Golden winged Warbler" (https://www.maxpatch.org/g Max Patch, NC. Retrieved
2022-09-19.
4. "90-Day Finding on a Petition To List the Golden-Winged Warbler as Endangered or Threatened J
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (https://www.finrs_gov/s ecies-publication-action/90-day-findin g etitio
n-fist- olden-winged-warbler-endangered-or). FWS.gov. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
5. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names (https://archiveo_r /detail
s/Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names_by James A. Jobling). London, United Kingdom:
Christopher Helm. pp. 105 (https://archive.org/details/Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names
by James A. Jobling/page/n105., 400. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
6. Oiseaux.net. "Paruline a ailes dor6es- Vermivora ch- soptera - Golden-winged Warbler" (https://w
ww.oiseaux.net/birds/golden-winged.warbier.htmi). www.oiseaux.net. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
7. Jones, John Anthony; Tisdale,Anna C.; Bakermans, Marja H.; Larkin, Jeffery L.; Smalling, Curtis
G.; Siefferman, Lynn (2017). "Multiple Plumage Ornaments as Signals of Intrasexual
Communication in Golden-Winged Warblers (https://docs.shib.ncsu.edu/ds/ncsuMAYF?entitylD=
https%3a%2f%2fprox.lib.ncsu.edu%2fezproxy%2fshibboleth&return=htt s%3a%2f%2flogin.prox.li
b.ncsu.edu%2fShibboleth.sso%2fDS%3fSAMLDS%3d1%26!Lafg t%3dez .2aHROcHM6Ly9vbmxp
bmVsaWJyYXJ5LndpbGV5LmNvbS9kb2kvYWJzLzEwLjExMTEvZX � Tgx). Ethology. 123
(2): 145-156. doi:10.1111/eth.12581 https://doi.or I10.1111%2Feth.12581 Retrieved
2020-04-07.
8. Henry M. Streby et al. (2015) "Tornadic Storm Avoidance Behavior in Breeding Son birds http.//w
ww.cell.com/current-biology/fuiitext/S0960_-9822 14 01428-6)"Current Biology, 25(1), pp. 98 -
102.
9. Chandler, Richard (2011). "Habitat quality and habitat selection of golden-win ed warblers in
�..f Costa Rica: an a 1pp ication of hierarchical models for open populations" (hftps://doi.org/10.1111%2
F't 1365-266_4.2011.02001.x . Journal of Applied Ecology. 48 (4): 1038-1047. doi:10.11111'.1� 365_
2664.2011.02001.x (http§://doi.org/10.1111%2Fi.1365-2664.2011.02001.x).

Kentucky Warbler
Kentucky Warbler(Oporornis formosus)is listed as a bird of conservation concern and is under the
protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Kentucky Warbler Migrates to Central and Northern
South America and the Caribbean in the colder winter month and then to the central and eastern United
States in the warmer summer months.
The Kentucky Warbler nest on the ground hidden by the edge of a shrub or a large patch of weeds in an
area of ample vegetation. The Kentucky Warbler is not known to be in the site area.

Ken lckY warn
Image Details(/media/466381)
FWS Focus
Overview
Scientific Name
Oporornis formosus
Common Name
Kentucky Warbler
FINS Category
Birds
Kingdom
Animalia (/species/animals-animalia)
Location in Taxonomic Tree 8 ()
(/taxonomic-tree/)

Q069 ornis formosus (/taxonomic-tree/31151)
Identification Numbers
TSN: 0 ()
178937 (https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_vatue=l78937)
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Kentucky Warbler (/node/69888)
https://digitaimedia.fws.gov/cdm/singleitem/collection/natdigtib/id/3854/rec/l
Image
Apr 18,2008
Final

WIKIPEDIA
Kentucky warbler
The Kentucky warbler (Geothlypis formosa) is a small
species of New World warbler. It is a sluggish and heavy Kentucky warbler
warbler with a short tail, preferring to spend most of its time on ,+�+
or near the ground, except when singing.
I �
Contents ;
� A
Description
R e _ang ___
I__ ._ I Male Kentucky warbler i
Nesting I Conservation status_
References
once
External links I Extlncc ---Threatened `coi em
IEX� ;EW! (CR) .EN
Description Least Concern (IUCN 3.10
Scientific classification A �
Adult Kentucky warblers are I Kingdom: Animalia I
mostly an olive-green in
color on their back and ( Phylum: Chordata I
nape, and a brilliant yellow I Class: Aves
below from their throat to
-►' ,- their belly. They have a
Order: Passeriformes
small tinge of black on their I Family: Parulidae
,owl crown, and a large black
mask with a yellow pattern Genus: GeothlyLis
i
F w. that runs from the beak and I Species: G. Formosa
- encircles the eyes,
1 I Binomial name
resembling a pair of _ __ _ _
South Padre Island -Texas spectacles. Female Geothlypls tbrmosa
Kentucky warblers have I
(wlison, 1811)
slightly less black on the
sides of their head, and immature birds may have almost no
black at all.
Measureinents:(Zl
■ Length: 5.1 in (13 cm)
■ Weight: 0.5-0.5 oz (13-14 g)

■ Wingspan: 7.9-8.7 in (20-22 cm)
Range
The Kentucky warbler is a scarce bird with a large range, i 4 6
frequenting moist deciduous forests. It is migratory, spending
summer in the central and eastern United States, often ranging
as far north as Wisconsin to Pennsylvania. Come fall and winter
the Kentucky warbler will migrate back to the Yucatan
Peninsula and the many islands of the Caribbean, flying non-
stop across the Gulf of Mexico. In 2007, the Kentucky warbler
was seen as far west as Farmington,New Mexico. Range of G. formosa
❑Breeding range
Nesting ❑Winter range
Synonyms
Kentucky warblers nest on the ground hidden at the base of a
shrub or in a patch of weeds in an area of ample vegetation. The Oporomis formosus I
female will lay between 3 and 6 eggs, which are white or cream-
colored and speckled with brown. Incubation is done by the
female only, and lasts for about 12 days. The young Kentucky warblers usually leave the nest about 10
days after hatching.
References
1. BirdLife International (2016). "Geothlypis formosa" (ttps://www.iuccnredlist.org/species/22721812/
94732492). IUCN Red List of Threatened Specie 21 s. 2016: e.T227812A94732492.
doi:10.2305/IUCN_UK.2016-3.RLTS T22721812A94732492.en (h4ps://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.
UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22721812A94732492.en). Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. "Kentucky Warbler Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology�ihttps://www.allabout
birds.org/fluide/Kentucky_Warbler/id). www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
External links
■ Kentucky_warbler_Oporornis formosus�https://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framist/i6770id.html) -
USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
■ Kentucky warbler Species Account (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Kentuck
y_Warbler.html) - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
■ Kentucky warbler bird sound (https://web.archive.org/web/20121008152331/http://www.flmnh.uff.e
d u%wwwsounds/birds/hardy78sh.wav)
■ "Kentucky Warbler" https_//en_wikisource.org/wiki/The New_Intemational_E_pcyclop%oC3_%oA6dia/
Kentucky Warble. New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
Retrieved from "https_//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?fifle=Kentucky warbler&oldid=1111038977"
This page was last edited on 19 September 2022, at 00:36 (UTC).
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Prairie Warbler
Prairie Warbler(Dendroica discolor) is listed as a bird of conservation concern and is under the
protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Prairie Warbler is found from south Florida,central
America and the Caribbean Islands and to the middle and eastern United States.
The Prairie Warbler is a permanent resident in the southern parts of their range and their nests are open
cups which are located in the low areas of trees and shrubs. The Prairie Warbler is not known to be in
the site area.
N"W*/

Image Details I/media/467026)
Prairie Warbler
FWS Focus
Overview
Scientific Name
Dendroica discolor
Common Name
Prairie Warbler
FW S Category
Birds
Kingdom
nnimolia(/species/animals-onimalia)
Location in Taxonomic Tree 8 ()
� (/taxonomic-tree/)
Species
Dendroica discolor(/taxonomic-tree/31147)
Identification Numbers
TSN:A ()
178918(https://wvvw.itis.gov/se"let/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=178918)

Geography
UNC H INTERACTIVE MAP(/SPECIES/PRAIRIE-WARBLER-DENDROICA-DISCOLOR/MAP)
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kk
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Prairie Warbler(/node/69900)
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Image
Apr18,2008

WIKIPEDIA
Prairie warbler
The prairie warbler (Setophaga discolor) is a small
songbird of the New World warbler family. Prairie warbler
< i
Contents
D_es_cription
Measurements
Vocalizations
Distribution and habitat_ Male S. d. paludicola
Behaviour and ecology_ I Jamaica
Breeding
Conservation status
Feeding Least
Behaviour Extinct Threatened concern
I 1 ^ 1
Status (Ez) : i N) vu NT
Gallery Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)i11
References I Scientific classification_
External links I Y j
_.�.. _ Kingdom: Ani_m_alia
Phylum: Chordata
Description I Class: Aves
These birds have yellow underparts with dark streaks on the Order: Passeriformes---
flanks, and olive overparts with rusty streaks on the back; they I Family: Parulid_a_e_
have a yellow line above the eye, a dark line through it, and a
Genus: Setophaga
Species: S. discolor
Binomial name
Setophaga discolor
i (Vieillot, 1809)

yellow spot below it. These birds have black legs, long tails, two
pale wing bars, and thin pointed bills. Coloring is duller in -{
female and immatures.
'+Measurements
Standard Measurements�Z1113
length i 4.3-5.2 in (110-130 mm) j
weight 7.7 g (0.27 oz)
'w�span 17 in (180 mm) I Range of S. discolor
wing 54.4-58.2 mm (2.14-2.29 in) i Breeding range
tail 47.5-50.5 mm (1.87-1.99 in) j -]Winter range
culmen 9-10.2 mm (0.35-0.40 in) I Synonyms
tarsus 17-19 mm (0.67-0.75 in) —
■ Dendroica discolor ,
Vocalizations
Prairie warblers have two categories of songs, referred to as Type A and Type B. Type A songs are
typically a series of ascending buzzy notes.The B songs are an ascending series of whistled notes that
often contain some buzzy notes. Compared to A songs, the B songs are lower in pitch, have fewer,
,..,,,,3nger notes. The total song length is longer as well in Type B songs. The use of these two song
categories is associated with certain contexts. A songs are sung throughout the day when males first
arrive on their.breeding grounds. Once males are paired they begin to sing B songs during the dawn
chorus and then will intersperse A songs in their singing during the rest of the day. During this later
period of singing A songs are typically used near females, near the nest, and in the center of their
territories. In contrast B songs are used when interacting or fighting with other males and near the
borders of their territories.
Part of their call note repertoire is a tsip call. During dawn, chorus B songs are interspersed with rapid
loud "check" calls.
Distribution and habitat
These birds are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range. Other birds migrate to
north-eastern Mexico and islands in the Caribbean.
Behaviour and ecology
Breeding

Their breeding habitats are brushy areas and forest edges in eastern North America. The prairie
warbler's nests are open cups, which are usually placed in a low area of a tree or shrub. Incubation
period is 12 to 13 days.(al
Feeding
Prairie warblers forage actively on tree branches, and sometimes fly around with the purpose of
catching insects, which are the main food source of these birds.
Behaviour
These birds wag their tails frequently.
Status
The numbers of these birds are declining due to habitat loss; this species also suffers from nest
parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird.
Gallery
`.r
In Ever Ig ades At Castello_w
National Park. Hammock,_ Miami,
References
1. Birdl-ife International (2016). "Setophaga discoloe' (hftps://www.iucnredlist.org/sp.tcies/22721725/
94726026). l_UCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22721725A94726026.
doi:10.2305/IUCN.U_K.2016-3.RLTS.T22721725A94726026.en (https://doi.o[g/10.2305%2_F[UCN.
UK.201.6-3.RLTS.T22721725A94726026.en). Retrieved 11 November 2021.
2. Godfrey, W. Earl (1966). The Birds of Canada. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. p. 339.
3. Sibley, David Allen (2000). The Sibley Guide to Birds https://archive.org/details/sibleyguidetobir00
sib[ 0/page/440). New York: Knopf. p. 440 https://archive.org/details/s_ ibleyguidetobir00sibl O./pag
e/440 . ISBN 0-67945122-6.
■ Houlihan, Peter W. (2000). The Singing Behavior of Prairie Warblers Dendroica discolor) (http-.//s
cholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AA19p.q 59/ (Ph.D.). University of Massachusetts -

Amherst. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
External links
■ Prairie warbler- Dendroica discolor(https://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framist/i6730id.html)-
USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
■ Prairie warbler species account (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Prairie War
bler.html) - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
■ Prairie_warbler Stam s (hftp://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/1 9903200.ht from Barbados,
British Virgin Islands, Grenada, St. Kitts at bird-stamps.org htt_://www.bird-stam s.or
■ "Prairie warbler media" https://www.hbw.com/ibc/s ecp ies/prairie-warbler-dendroica-discolor).
Internet Bird Collection.
■ Prairie warbler photo q_ allery (http://vireo.acnatsci.or /s,4 earch.html?Form=Search&SEA_R_C_HBY=C
ommon&KEYWORDS^=prairie+warbler&showwhat=_ima es&AGE=AI1&SEX=AI1&ACT=AI1&Search
=Search&VIEW=AI1&ORIENTATION=AI1&RESULTS=24 at VIREO (Drexel University)
■ Prairie_warbler bird sound (htt :/e_/www.flmnh.ufl.edu/index.php/download file/view/1 34 at
Florida Museum of Natural History
■ Bird_Life species factsheet for Dendroica discolor htt ://datazone.birdlife.or /Q species/factsheet/22
721725)
■ Interactive range map of Dendroica discolor http://maps.iucnredlist.org/ma .hp _tml?id=22721725).
at IUCN Red List maps p://maps.iucnredlist.org/index.html)
■ Audio recordings of Prairie warbler (http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Setophaga-discolor) on
Xeno-canto.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.orq/w/index.php?title=Prairie warbler&oldid=1110055104"
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Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Rusty Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) is listed as a bird of conservation concern and is under the
protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Rusty Blackbird Migrates to Middle and eastern US in
the colder winter month and then to the middle of Canada from the Atlantic to Alaska in the warmer
summer months.
The Rusty Blackbird(rusty grackle is an older name)is a bird that prefers wet forested areas,ponds and
wetland areas for their habitat. This habitat for the Rusty Blackbird is not at the site and permitting
should have no effect on this species.

Ail 4f
Image Details(/media/472126)
FWS Focus
Overview
Scientific Name
Euphagus corolinus
Common Name
Rusty Blackbird
FWS Category
Birds

Kingdom
Animalia(/species/animals-animalia)
Location in Taxonomic Tree A ()
Genus �-•
" Euphagus (/taxonomic-tree/31214)
Species
t Euphagus carolinus(/taxonomic-tree/31115)
Identification Numbers
TSN: A ()
179091 (https://www.itis.gov/serviet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=179091)
Geography
NTERACTI E (/SPECIES/RUSTY-BLACKBIRD-EUPHAGUS-CAROLINUS/MAP)
Ilk
Gn OJ`
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W IKIPEDIA
Rusty blackbird
The rusty blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) is a medium-
sized New World blackbird, closely related to grackles (r Rusty blackbirdrusty ,
grackle' is an older name for the species). It is a bird that
prefers wet forested areas, breeding in the boreal forest and
muskeg across northern Canada, and migrating southeast to the
United States during winter. I
Formerly abundant, the rusty blackbird has undergone one of
%*A, 46
the most rapid declines of any abundant bird species in North "
America in recent years, for reasons that are not well
understood. I Conservation status
- - least j Extinct Threatened Concern
1 — �
Contents �� EN ;NT, C, !
Description
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)Lii
I i
j Habitat Scientific classification
Behavior I Kingdom: Animalia
..i P_opulation ( Phylum: Chordate
References ( Class: Aves
External links ( Order: Passeriformes
Family: Icteridae
Description I Genus: Eup"us I
Adults have a pointed bill and a pale yellow eye. They have j Species: E. carolinus
black plumage with faint green and purple gloss; the female is I Binomial name
greyer. Rusty refers to the brownish winter plumage. They
resemble the western member of the same genus, the Brewer's i
Euphagus carolinus
blackbird; however, Brewer's has a longer bill and the male's (Muller, 1776)
head is iridescent green.
*.s

Standard MeasurementsRIN
length 8.5-9.8 in (220-250 mm)
weight 60 g (2.1 oz)
wingspan 14 in (360 mm)
110.5-117.4 min (4.35-4.62 in)
tail 1 85-94.5 mm (3.35-3.72 in)
culmen 19-21.9 mm (0.75-0.86 in) I
tarsus29.5-33 min (1.16-1.30 in)
Habitat Range of E. carolinus
r Breeding range
r> �, Their breeding habitat is
wet temperate coniferous ❑Wintering range
~." forests and muskeg across
'two, Canada and Alaska. Birds usually nest at the edge of ponds and
-� wetlands with the cup nest located in a tree or dense shrub, often
over the water. Emerging dragonflies and their larvae are
x important food items during the summer.
Male, alternate plumage.
These birds migrate to the eastern and southeastern United
States, into parts of the Grain Belt, sometimes straying into
Mexico.
Behavior
They forage on wet ground or in shallow water, mainly eating insects, small fish and some seeds.
Their most common mode of foraging is to vigorously flip leaves and rip at submerged aquatic
vegetation. The mast of small-acorn producing oaks, such as willow oak, is also important. In some
areas, the nuts of planted pecans are heavily used. They very rarely will attack small passerine birds,
and have been known to kill species as large as the common s Vie. They feed in flocks during
migration and on the wintering grounds, sometimes joining other blackbirds,both often occurring in
single species flocks. They more often roost with other blackbirds; some small roosts are in brushy
vegetation in old fields and others are in massive mixed flocks—sometimes in the urban areas.
The species nests relatively early for a boreal forest bird. They linger in the boreal zone to complete
their molt.Their autumn migration is slow,with birds often remaining in the northern states well into
December; spring migration is much more rapid. The largest wintering concentrations are found in
the lower Mississippi Valley, with smaller concentrations in the Piedmont and south Atlantic coastal
plain.
Fairly quiet in fall migration and most of the winter,both males and females will sing (particularly on
warm days) in the late winter and spring. The song consists of gurgling and high-pitched squeaks.
Population '%�

Rusty blackbirds have declined significantly in recent decades. The reasons are unclear, but habitat
loss is likely a major contributor to the decline. The habitat loss is likely due to multiple factors,
including development for oil, gas, and mining industries, hydroelectric projects, and the clearing of
'orests for forestry. Mercury contamination may be a problem for populations in northeastern
'%• orth America. Rarer than previously believed, it was uplisted from a species of Least Concern to
Vulnerable status on the 2007 IUCN Red List.15][63 Deliberate poisoning of mixed-species blackbird
flocks, targeting brown-headed cowbird, common grackle and red-winged blackbird, in the
southeastern U.S. may also be playing a role; there is currently no estimate of the number of rusty
blackbirds killed by these poisonings.W In the eastern part of its range, acid rain may be decreasing
1411
the availability of calcium-rich invertebrates that the rusty blackbird depends on for food.
Additionally, citizen science projects such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey and Christmas
Bird Count have determined that rusty blackbirds have dropped 85%-98% in the past 40 years. This
is very worrisome for many people, as scientists are desperately trying to figure out what exactly went
wrong. Sighting submission services such as eBird are encouraging birders to keep track of rusty
blackbirds. The International Rusty Blackbird Working Group (http://rus!yblackbird.org/) has been
actively coordinating and conducting research on this species since 2005.
References
1. BirdLife International (2020). "Eu hagus carolinus' (hftps://www.iucnredlist.oEg/species/22724329/
1800246 . IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22724329A180024662.
doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22724329A180024662.en https:Hdoi.org/l0.2305%2FIUC
N.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22724329A180024662.en}. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. Godfrey, W. Earl (1966). The Birds of Canada. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. p. 358.
3. Sibley, David_Allen (2000). The Sibley Guide to Birds (hftps://archive.org/details/sibleyguidetobirOO
sibl 0/page/5� New York: Knopf. p. 514 https://archive.org/details/sibleyguidetobir00sibl 0/pag
e1514}. ISBN 0-679-45122-6.
4. Wells, Jeffrey V. (2007). Birder's Conservation Handbook. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-
0691123233.
5. "2006-2007 Red List status changes" https:llweb.archive.org/web/20070828022837/http_//www.bi
rdlife.org/action/science/species/global srpecies rogramme/whats new.htmi). BirdLife
International.Archived from the original http://www.birdlife.o[g/action/science/s ecp ieslglobal spe
cies_programme/whats new.html) on 28 August 2007. Retrieved 26 August 2007.
6. BirdLife species factsheet for Ed
phagus carolinus (http://datazone.birdIife.org/species/f"actsheet/2
2724329
■ Jaramillo, Alvaro; Burke, Peter (1999). New World Blackbirds. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-
7136-4333-1.
External links
■ The International Rusty Blackbird Workin Group_�htt ://rus biackbird.or /)/
■ Rustx Blackbird Species Account (http://wvvw.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Ry§ Bla
ckbird.html} - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
1■ Rusty Blackbird - Eyphagus carolinugAh_ttpss//www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/f"ramisVi5O9Oid.html -
USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
■ "Rusty blackbird media" (https://www.hbw.com/ibc/species/ruses-blackbird-eu ha us-carolinus)..
Internet Bird Collection.

Wood Thrush
Wood Thrush(Hylocichla mustelina)is listed as a bird of conservation concern and is under the
protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Wood Thrush migrates to Central America in the colder
winter month and then to the middle and eastern United States and Canada in the warmer summer
months.
The Wood Thrush likes a habitat of moderately dense shrub layered upland mesic forest with running
water and wet moist soils.This habitat does not exist on the site to be permitted and thus the Wood
Thrush would bot he effected by permitting the site.

Wood Thrush
FWS Focus
Overview
The wood thrush,as its name suggests,can be found inhabiting forested areas,particularly those dominated by deciduous trees.Widespread across
most of the eastern United States and into southern Canada,the wood thrush's flute-like song can be heard throughout the summer months.This species
is most likely to be spotted in the underbrush or on the forest floor,so keep an eye out for its reddish-brown back feathers or its white and brown
speckled underside.After breeding,wood thrush make their way to wintering grounds in the lowlands of Mexico and Central America.
Like many species of migratory birds,the wood thrush is subject to habitat loss,degradation,and fragmentation not only in its breeding grounds,but
also in its wintering grounds and along its migration route.The species is undergoing sharp declines in population and is likely to experience range
contractions as a result of habitat loss and climate change.
The wood thrush is or the US.Fish and Wildlife Service's Birds of Conservation list,which represent our highest conservation priorities.We are working
with partners to support conservation actions that will improve habitat for the wood thrush and other forest songbirds—one of the steeply declining
groups of birds identified in our call to Action to help address the loss of nearly 3 bi Ilion breeding birds in North America since 1970.
Scientific Name
Hylocichla mustelina
��/-.ommon Name
(Nood Thrush
FWS Category
Birds
Kingdom
Animalia(Ispecies/animals-animalia)
Location in Taxonomic Tree A()
Genus
ti Hylocichla(/taxonomic-tree/31491)
Species
"Hylocichla mustelina(/taxonomic-tree/31492)
Identification Numbers
TSN:8 ()
179777(https://www.itis.gov/serviet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=179777)
Geography
�� AUNCH INrE RACTIVE MAP(/SPECIES/WOOD-THRUSH-HYLOCICHLA-MUSTELINA/MAP)
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Randy Dettmers(/staff-profile/randy-dettmers)
Senior wildlife Biologist
Migratory Birds
Additional Role(s): Regional lead for conservation of migratory landbirds
Vstaff- Expertise:Avian ecology, Conservation biology, Habitat and population modeling, Partnership development, Bird monitoring,
profile/randy- Bird banding
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-banding)Bird Banding(/media/bird
Refuge biologist and volunteers put bands on birds'legs to help identify and keep track of individuals.Similar to a license plate
on a vehicle,each band has a unique set of numbers.Birds are also weighed and measured to help biologists evaluate their
condition.
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Stacey Hayden
Zach Ladin(/staff-profile/zach-ladin)
Supervisory Wildlife Biologist
Migratory Birds
Additional Role(s): Permits Branch Manager
(/staff- Expertise: Permits, Quantitative Ecology, Population Modeling, Data Science and Visualization
prorile/zach- 9 Contact
ladin) Hadley,MA
Wood Thrush(/node/69924)
https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/cdm/singleitem/collettion/natdiglib/id/3706/rec/1
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Apr18,2008
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Gary Williams(/staff-profile/gary-williams)
Chief,Migratory Bird Permit Office
Migratory Birds, Science Appgcotions
Additional Role(s): Eagle Compensatory Mitigation Programs
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williams) Contact
Lakewood,CO
`/

WIKIPEDIA
Wood thrush
The wood thrush (Hyiocichia musteiina) is a North
American passerine bird. It is closely related to other thrushes Wood thrush
such as the American robin and is widely distributed across
North America, wintering in Central America and southern
Mexico. The wood thrush is the official bird of the District of
Columbia.)
The wood thrush is a medium-sized thrush, with brown upper 10
parts with mottled brown and white underparts. The male and 14 .4'~
female are similar in appearance. The sonp of the male is often I
4-7e
cited as being the most beautiful in North America.
The wood thrush is an omnivore, and feeds preferentially on
soil invertebrates and larvae, but will also eat fruits. In the I
summer, it feeds on insects continuously in order to meet daily
metabolic needs. It is solitary, but sometimes forms mixed-
species flocks. The wood thrush defends a territory that ranges
in size from 800 to 28,00o m2 (96o to 33,490 sq yd).The wood
thrush is mono amous and its breeding season begins in the '
��,. , go:ss
spring; about 50% of all mated pairs are able to raise two —_
broods,ranging in size from two to four chicks.(4l song i
i
Contents song
Taxonomy I Conservation status '
Descrieion Least
Vocalizations I Extinct Threatened Concem
Distribution and habitat_ ex � OCR :'J (�'
Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1$-11
Va rg ancy I Scientific classification L
Behavior I Kingdom: Animalia
Diet
Predation Phylum: Chordata
Reproduction I Class: Aves
References ( Order: Passeriformes
External links I Family: Turdidae
Genus: Hylocichla
Taxonomy Baird, 1864

The only member of the Species: H. mustelina i
genus Hylocichla, the wood
thrush was described by i Binomial name
German naturalist Johann Hylocichla mustelina
Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. (Gmelin,JF, 1789)
The generic name is a direct
translation of its common
name, derived from the
Greek words hyle/ukn
"woodland" and cichle/
K►XXiI "thrush" or
South Padre Island -Texas
fieldf_are .0 The specific
name comes from the Latin
mustela "weasel"J61 It is closely related to the other typical
American thrushes of the genus Catharus, and is sometimes
merged into that genus:(71 It has been considered close to the
long-distance migrant species of that genus, as opposed to the
generally resident nightingale-thrushes, but this appears to be
erroneous0i The wood thrush also appears to be fairly closely
related to the large Turdus thrushes, such as the American I❑Breeding i
robin. "Wood thrush" is the official name given to this species Migration
by the International Ornithologists Union (IOC).--
---- — QNonbreeding
Description ynonymSL�1
The adult wood thrush is 18 to 21.5 cm (7.1 to 8.5 in) long, with ■ Turdus mustelinus Gmelin,
a wingspan of 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) and a body mass of 48 1789
to 72 g (1.7 to 2.5 oz)1101 Among standard measurements, the
wing chord is 9.6 to 11.6 cm (3.8 to 4.6 in), the bill is 1.6 to 2 cm ' Merula mustelina (Gmelin,
(0.63 to 0.79 in) and the tarsus is 2.8 to 3.3 cm (1.1 to 1.3 in). It 1789) j
is distinctly larger than the Catharus thrushes with which the ■ Catharus mustelinus (Gmelin,
species is often sympatric but slightly smaller than the common
American robin.-�1 The longest known lifespan for a wood 178s) —
thrush in the wild is 8 years, 11 months. 11 The crown, nape,
and upper back are cinnamon-brown, while the back wings, and
tail are a slightly duller brown. The breast and belly are white with
large dark brown spots on the breast, sides, and flanks. It has
white eye rings and pink legs.('-31 Other brownish thrushes have ,
finer spotting on the breastS41 The juvenile looks similar to .
adults, but has additional spots on the back, neck, and wing
coverts. The male and female are similar in size and plumage.
Vocalizations
The wood thrush has been reported to have one of the most
beautiful songs of North American birds.('A1 American naturalist In Central Park, New York City
Henry David Thoreau wrote:

Whenever a man hears it he is young, and Nature is in her spring; wherever he hears it, it
is a new world and a free country, and the gates of Heaven are not shut against him.
While the female is not known to sing, the male has a unique song that has three parts. The firs'
subsong component is often inaudible unless the listener is close, and consists of two to six short,low
pitched notes such as bup, bup, bup.The middle part is a loud phrase often written ee-oh-lay, and the
third part is a ventriloquial, trill-like phrase of non-harmonic pairs of notes given rapidly and
simultaneously.
The male is able to sing two notes at once, which gives its song an ethereal,flute-like quality.LKI Each
individual bird has its own repertoire based on combinations of variations of the three parts. Songs
are often repeated in order. The bup, bup, bup phrase is also sometimes used as a call,which is louder
and at a greater frequency when the bird is agitated.A The wood thrush also use a tut, tut to signal
agitattionJ121 The nocturnal flight call is an emphatic buzzing heeh.LI-01
Distribution and habitat
The wood thrush's breeding range extends from Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia in southern
Canada to northern Florida and from the Atlantic coast to the Missouri River and the eastern Great
Plains. It mi rg ates to southern Mexico through to Panama in Central America in the winter, mostly in
the lowlands along the Atlantic and Pacific coas��It generally arrives on the U.S. Gulf Coast
during the first week of April. Fall migration usually begins in mid-August and continues through
mid-September. Migration takes place at night,�1�1 allowing them to find their direction from the stars
and orient themselves by detecting the Earth's magnetic field..'�ba
The wood thrush prefers deciduous and mixed forests for breeding. It prefers late-successional,
upland mesic forests with a moderately-dense shrub layer. Robert I. Bertin (1977) found that this
thrush favors areas with running water, moist ground, and high understorey coverS12! The breeding
habitat generally includes trees taller than 16 m (52 ft), a fairly open forest floor, moist soil, and leaf
litter, with substrate moisture more important than either canopy cover or access to running water.
The wood thrush can breed in habitat patches as small as 0.4 hectares (0.99 acres),but it runs the risk
of higher predation and nest parasitism.[1�1 The wood thrush's breeding range has expanded
northward, displacing the veery and hermit thrush in some locations. In recent times, as a result of
fragmentation of forests, it has been increasingly exposed to nest parasitism by brown-headed
cowbirds, as well as loss of habitat in the winter range.
Conservation status
The wood thrush has become a symbol of the decline of Neotropical songbirds of eastern North
America, having declined by approximately 50% since 1966.1LO-1 Along with many other species, this
thrush faces threats both to its North American breeding grounds and Central American wintering
grounds. Forest fragmentation in North American forests has resulted in both increased nest
predation and increased cowbird parasitism, significantly reducing their reproductive success. A
study by the Cornell Laborator_of_Ornithology was the first large-scale analysis that linked acid rain

to this thrush's declineSI—A Continued destruction of primary forest in Central America eliminated
preferred wood thrush wintering habitats, likely forcing the birds to choose secondary habitats where
mortality rates are higher. In spite of this, the wood thrush is considered to be Least Concern.l�l
Vagrancy
The wood thrush has been recorded twice as a vagrant in Europe, in Iceland at Kvisker in Ora?fi East
Skaftafellssjsla by Bjornson Halfdan on 23 October i967 and on Ki�etang Down, St Ames, Isles of
Scilly, England on 7 October 1987,1i8 1�91
Behavior
The wood thrush is primarily solitary, but occasionally forms
mixed-species flocks in the winter. Its breeding territory ranges
from 800 to 8,000 m2 (96o to 9,570 sq yd) in size, and are used
for nesting, gathering nest materials, and foraging.L121 Some wood
thrushes also defend a feeding territory in the winter. Territorial
interactions are usually settled without physical contact, but in
high-intensity encounters or nest defense, physical interactions -
with the feet or bill have been observed. Defense behaviors in A wood thrush singing in Central
response to nest predators include wing flicks, tail flicks, and Park, New York city
raising the crest, sometimes escalating to dives and strikes.i-1
.his species has also been observed displaying a behavior known as "anting." Anting occurs when a
ird picks up a single ant or group of ants and rubs them on its feathers. The purpose of this behavior
is unknown, but it is thought that the birds may be able to acquire defensive secretions from the ants
possibly used for some medicinal purposes, or that it simply supplements the birds'own preen oil.(10-1
Diet
Soil invertebrates and larvae make up most of the wood thrush's omnivorous diet, but it will also eat
fruits in the late summer, fall, and late winter. It occasionally feeds on arboreal insects, snails, and
small salamanders.The young are fed insects and some fruit.l1O1 After breeding and before migration,
the wood thrush will switch from insects to fruits with high lipid levels. In the summer, low fruit
consumption and lipid reserves require the bird to feed on insects continuously in order to meet its
metabolic needs.112J
The wood thrush forages mainly on the forest floor, flipping leaves over with its bills to reveal insects.
It can be observed hopping around in leaf litter and on semi-bare ground under the forest canopy.
Fruits are swallowed whole.["]
Predation

Eggs and chicks are vulnerable to chipmunks, raccoons, blue jays, American crows, black rat snakes,
brown-headed cowbirds, common grackles, southern fl ing_Lqui Is, yrf squirrels, least weasels,
white-footed mice, domestic cats, great horned owls, and sue-shinned hawks. Adults are primarily
taken by hawks and owls.E'?l
Reproduction
Wood thrushes are monogamous. Breeding pairs form in mid-
April to early-May, and usually last throughout the breeding
season. Most thrushes find a new mate each year, and mate
guarding and extra-pair copulation have not been observed in
this species.L12J
Some male wood thrushes arrive at the breeding grounds several
days before the earliest females while other males arrive at the
same time as the females, establishing territories ranging in size Nesting in Pennsylvania, USA
from o.o8 to o.8 hectares (one-fifth of an acre to two acres).L4!
The female typically leads silent circular flights 1-1.8 m (3.3-5.9 ft) from the ground, with the male
chasing. Six or more flights generally take place in succession. The pairs will perch together and feed
each other in between flights.LI-11 The male begins to sing at dawn and dusk a few days after arriving at
breeding grounds. Early in the breeding season, the male sings from high perches in the tallest trees,
but as the season progresses, it sings somewhat shorter and less elaborate songs from lower perches.
Each day's singing begins and is most intense just before sunrise. The male may sing throughout the
day but especially at dusk.The song season is usually over by the end of July.["I
Typically, the female chooses the nest site and builds the nest. However, there has been some
indication that the male is able to influence the selection of the nest site by perching nearby and
singing. Usually, though, the female chooses whether or not to accept or reject the nest site suggested
by the male.i2OI The nest is usually sited in a dense patch of vegetation in a tree or shrub that provides
concealment and shade. It is usually made of dead grasses, stems, and leaves, and lined with mud,
and placed in a fork at a horizontal branch. The nest is not reused. Usually, two broods are attempted,
although three to four separate nests may be built before a pair succeeds. Two to four pale blue eggs
are laid at the rate of one per day.L211 The�gLs are incubated by the female only for ii to 14 days, with
the average being 13 days. Like all passerines, the chicks are altricial at hatching, mostly naked with
closed eyes L227 The female broods the chicks during the first four days after hatching. Both parents
feed the nestlings and remove fecal sacs from the nest. The chicks fledge 12-15 days after hatching,
but the parents continue to feed them until they become independent and leave the parents' territory
at 21-31 days old.
The young wood thrush is able to begin breeding the next summer. Most females lay their first eggs in
mid-May, but older females may begin laying sooner. Pairs usually attempt to rear a second brood no
later than late July, with the last of the young fledging around mid-August.f)About half of all wood
thrush pairs successfully raise two broods.L41
References
1. BirdLife International (2020). ':tfydocichla mqstelin4s!" (hftps://www.iucnEtglist.org/species/2270867
0/154163742 . IUCN Red List of Threatened Sep Lies. 2020: e.T22708670A154163742.

Olerud Mine site
US Fish and Wildlife species listed as Threatened and or Endangered
Listed species believed to or known to occur in North Carolina`
iwool Group scientdcName Common Name ESA Listing Known or Believed Report Attached
Status in Mitchell County
Amphibians
Necturus lewisi Neuse River Threatened N
waterdo
Arachnids
Microhexui Spruce-fir moss Endangered Y X
s ider
Birds
t'.i Iidris anutus rufa Red knot Threatened N
,.idnus melodus Piping Plover Threatened N
rallusyamai�ensis ssp. Eastern Black rail Threatened N
.iicensis
eeria americans Wood stork Threatened N
Red-cockaded
:des borealis woodpecker Endangered N
Roseate tern jEndangered I N
Clams
midonta heterodon Dwarf Endangered N
wed emussel
.:nidonta ovenehana Appalachian elktoe Endangered Y X
ho lanceolata Yellow lance Threatened N
onaia mason, Atlantic pigtoe Threatened N
-- lasmikona decora[ Carolina_a heels litter Endangered N
James
r.!sDina collina s in ussel Endangered N
.aspina steinstansana Tar River spinussel Endangered N
Littlewing
arl mussel Endangered N
Fishes
ins Spotrin Chub Threatened N
ilia e.Lensa Waccamaw Threatened N
silverside
r lglropis mekistocholas Cape Fear shiner Endangered N
Noturus furiosus Carolina madtom Endangered N
Percina rex Roanoke logpereh Endangered N
Percina'ir- Sickle darter Threatened N
Flowering Plants N
Sensitive joint-
,brnomene vir inica vetch Threatened N
arainhus pumilos Seabeach Threatened N
amaranth
Small-anthered
�d,nnine mjcrairthe!a Endangered N
bitteroress
r.Iutca Golden sedge Endangered N

Group scientific Name Common Name ESA Listing Known or BelievedStatus in Mitchell County Report Attached
Flowering Plants
Smooth coneflower Threatened IN
Spreading avers Endangered Y X
,, p,:,n-,r" Roan Mountain Endangered Y X
bluet
n. J Schweiniz's Endangered N
sunflower
ii,,,,.:.paii „ Swamp pink Threatened N
Dwarf-flowered Threatened N
heartiest
Mountain golden
nudw,u:,rnon(an� Threatened N
heather
i, Small whorled Threatened N
—' o onia
Hellers blazingstar Threatened N
uid :',,1 .,riot o Pondberry Endangered N
Rough-leaved
Endangered N
loosestrife
:p,i.- ;:,r::. Canby's dropwort Endangered N
oo.4r.I, Harperella Endangered N
h,::a.. Michaux's sumac Endangered N
Bunched
..;u,na la>-puil:�ra Endangered N
arrowhead
c,„Ia crcJ�hll., Green pitcher-plant Endangered N
Mountain sweet
pitcher-plant Endangered N
American
,.;.,11,,„,-r.c.:,,.: chaffseed Endangered N
q,inrh�u,n d:chotomum White Irisette Endangered N
Blue Ridge
`l goldenrod Threatened Y X
Virginia spiraea Threatened Y X
meadow
Cooleys Endangered N
rue
Insects
,ou,mi Ila mi:rh, hi h.,,,n.,, Saint Francis'satyr Endangered N
butterFl
Lichens
Rock gnome lichen Endangered Y X
Mammals
Experimental
Red wolf Population, N
Non-Essential
Virginia big-eared Endangered N
bat
Carolina northern Endangered Y X
flying squirrel
Gray bat Endangered N X
Northern Long- Endangered Y X
Eared Bat

Group scientific Name Common Name ESA Listing Known or BelievedStatus in Mitchell County Report Attached
Mammals
I.ou;.-:!..d Indiana bat Endangered N
�.s
West Indian 10tlp`'t°�" Manatee Threatened N
Reptiles
Similarity of
.. American alligator Appearance N
(Threatened)
Loggerhead sea Threatened N
turtle
Ch_!onia m,aas Green sea turtle Threatened N
ucrmo;�nly:u:,Iaca� Leatherback sea Endangered N
turtle
Hawksbill sea turtle Endangered N
Similarity of
a!t-rn�n,y�.ou,n!u,q�•q;l, bog turtle Appearance Y X
(Threatened)
in,i.,,,i, ._a,,. Kemp's ridley sea Endangered N
turtle
Snails
noonday snail IThreatened I N
' This Information is from US Fish and Wildlife website
Listed species believed to or known to occur in North Carolina
Notes:
As of 02/13/2015 the data in this report has been updated to use a different set of information.
Results are based on where the species is believed to or known to occur.
The FWS feels utilizing this data set is a better representation of species occurrence.
Note:there may be other federally listed species that are not currently known or expected to occur in this state but are
covered by the ESA wherever they are found;Thus if new surveys detected them in this state they are still covered by the
ESA. The FINS is using the best information available on this date to generate this
This report shows listed species or populations believed to or known to occur in INC
This list does not include experimental populations and similarity of appearance listings.

Spruce-fir moss Spider
Spruce-fir moss Spider Microhexura montivaga) is listed in ECOS as being endangered and is listed as
being in or believed to be in Mitchell County. The Spider is found in high elevations in the Southern
Appalachian Mountains.
The Spruce-fir moss Spider population is declining because of death in the fraiser firs due to infestation
with Adelges piceae, the balsam woolly adelgid,an insect pest introduced from Europe.The dying of the
forest canopy causes drying of the moss mats that are essential for the spiders survival. The habitat at
the site to be permitted is not suitable for the spider and permitting would have no impact on the
Spruce-fir moss Spider.

L'A U.S. Fish&Wildlife Service
ECOS
ECOS /
Spruce-fir moss spider (Microhexura montivaga)
Rage Information ICandidate In IFederal Register IRecovefY. ICritical Habitat ISSA IConservation
PjaM I Petitions I131slsgjcaLQpinlons ILife Histoa
Taxonom View Search forimages on
Y� digitalmedla.lwsgov
Listing Status: Endangered
Where Listed:WHEREVER FOUND
General Information
The species historical range included North Carolina,Tennessee.See below for information about where
the species is known or believed to occur.
Current Listing Status Summary
Show 10 v entries
Status Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
1
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to Range Information
Currant Range
0&. 1k), Last Updated:OFf4-2021-Wherever found
Zoom IN Some species'locations may be small and hard to see from a wide perspective.To narrow-in on locations,check the state and
county lists(below)and then use the zoom tool.
Want the FWS's current range for all species?Click here to download a zip file containing all individual shapefiles and metadata for all
species.
*For consultation needs do not use only this current range map,please use 121C,
Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America.The species may also occur
outside this region.
a Fji sLrw.y
� ndrmc lri��f df•. - {ac-r ;f;;r �
Shft

fi0nrj s"ta(us:"Endangered
o States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:North Carolina,Tennessee,Virginia
o US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:View
o USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:
» Candidate Information
No Candidate information available For this species.
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
No Candidate Notice of Review Documents currently available for this species.
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
» Federal Register Documents
Federal Register Documents
Show 10 entries
Citation Supporting
Date Page Title Documents
06/20/2019 84 FR 28850 Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 53 Southeastern Sp rp iPC;Notice of reviewslggyest
28853 for information
07/29/2008 73 FR 43947 5-Year Status Rey w of 20 Southeastern Species
43948
07/06/2001 66 FR 35547 ETWP;42Sjgnation of Critical Habitat for the Spruce-fir Moss Spider
35566
02/12/2001 66 FR 9806 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants•Reo ep nine of Public Comment Period and
9808 Notice of Availability of Draft Economic Analysis for Proposed Critical Habitat Determination
for the spruce-Fir Moss Spider
10/06/2000 65 FR 59798 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants,2i4 osep d Designation of Critical Habitat
59814 for the pruce-fir Moss Spider
02/06/1995 60 FR 6968 E.DM;-5purce-Fir Moss Snider Determined To Be Endangered
6974
01/27/1994 59 FR 3825 ETWP;Proposal to U5tthe.Soruce-Rr Moss eider as anladwgeredSoecies
t _ _ :
Showing 1 to 7 of 7 entries < Previous 1 Next >
»Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
No Species Status Assessments(SSA's)are currently available for this species.
Special Rule Publications
No Special Rule Publications currently available for this species.
» Recovery
• Sr>a i with R ov ry Documents Data Explorer
• Recovery Priority Number:5
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Show 1D sentries

Plan Implementation - SSAs/Biological Recovery Implementation
Date Stage Recovery Plan Status Reports Strategies
09/11/1998 Final Spruce-Fir Moss View ILn pigmentation
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Other Recovery Documents
Note:This report includes actual Five Year Review completions and notices as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions and notices.
Show 10 entries
Date Citation Page Title Document Type
06/20/2019 84 FR 28850 28853 Initlatlon of 5-Year Status Reviews for 53 Southeastern Sprigs:. Five Year Review Notice,pq
Notice of reviews*-m uest for information Information Solicitation tyy
07/29/2008 73 FR 43947 43948 5-Year Status Review of 20 Southeastern Species Five Year Review Notice, _
Infnrmafinn Cnliritafinn
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Five Year Reviews
Note:This report Includes actual Five Year Review completions as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions.
Show 10 v entries
Date Title
02/092021 Spruce-fir moss soiderfMicrohexura montivagill 5-Year Review _.
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No Delisting Documents currently available for this species.
»Critical Habitat
Critical Habitat Spatial Extents
Population(s)
M f t$ Whereverround
_ 3eeeenlhe .
Nnorvm�
�m vu
r

Critical Habitat Documents
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Critical Habitat Document
Date Citation Page Title Shapefile Type
07/06/2001 66 FR 35547 35566 ETWP,Designation of Critical Habitat for the Spruce-fr Download Finai
Showing 1 to 1 of i entries c Previous 1 Next >
To learn more about critical habitat please see tiUp,//ecos.fws.gov/crithab
» Conservation Plans
No Conservation Plans currently available for this species.
» Petitions
No Petitions currently available for this species.
to Biological Opinions
No Issued Biological Opinions have been entered into this system for this species.
» Life History
No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.
»Other Resources
NatureServe Ex IoR rer Species Reports—NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation
information on more than 50,000 plants,animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada.
NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species,but includes
common plants and animals too.NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with
the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports—ITIS(the Integrated Taxonomic Information System)is a source for authoritative taxonomic
information on plants,animals,fungi,and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library--The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable
collection of selected Images,historical artifacts,audio clips,publications,and video."+

WIKIPEDIA
Spruce-fir moss spider
The spruce-fir moss spider(Microhexura montivaga) is
an endan Bred species of Bider found at high elevations in the Spruce-fir moss spider
southern Ap�chian Mountains. First identified in 1923, it
inhabits moss that grows on rocks underneath the forest
canopy.
Contents
Description
Biolo y
iEndangered status
tl Distribution
References
I
External links I Conservation status
Further reading I Presumed
Extinct At risk secure
� Gx i ,GH. �G1 i • ;W;-G4 j ,Gs 1_1.
Description Imperiled (NatureServe)VI
M. montivaga is one of the smallest Mgalomorph spiders,with Scientific classification e
adults only measuring 3 to 4 mm (about 1/8 inch). The i
Kingdom: Animalia
coloration varies from light brown to yellow-brown to a darker j
reddish brown, with no markings on the abdomen. The Phylum: Arthropod@
chelicerae project forward, and one pair of sLi nm rets is very Subphylum: Chelicerata
long. It possesses a second pair of book lungs, which appear as
light patches behind the genital furrow.W Class: Arachnida j
Order: Araneae
Biology Ilntaorder: Mygalomorphae
M. montivaga constructs tube-shaped webs, apparently for I Family: Microhexuridae
shelter, as prey has never been found in them. It probably feeds I Genus: Microhexura '
on springtails that are abundant in moss mats.L3j M. montivaga — -
can take as long as three years to reach maturity, due to low I Species: M. montivaga
temperatures and resulting slow metabolism. I Binomial name
Microhexura montivaga
_Endangered status Crosby& Bishop, 19251221
SynonymsU

The widespread death of Fraser fir trees has destroyed many
habitats for M. montivaga, and the spider species was listed as I ■ Microhexura montivagus [sic]
endangered in 1995• Many Fraser firs have died due to Crosby&Bishop, 1925
infestation with Adelges piceae, the balsam woolly adelgid, an
insect pest introduced from Europe.The resulting thinning of the forest canopy leads to the drying 6*.o,
the moss mats that are essential for the spider's survival, as it requires climates of high and constant
humidity.L3-3 These spiders have survived in temperatures that range between -17.8 °C or o OF and
19.8 °C or 67.6 OF within mountainous regions of the Southern Appalachians. NatureServe
considers the species "Imperiled".
Distribution
M. multivaga is known from Fraser fir and red spruce forests on mountain peaks at and above
19650 m (5,410 ft) in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. It has
been recorded from Clingmans Dome and Mount Collins (both very small populations), Mount
Le Conte,Mount Mitchell(probably extirpated), Grandfather Mountain, and Roan Mountain.
The Tennessee population, located in Sevier County, was considered healthy up to 1989, but is now
possibly extirpated. On two locations in North Carolina, there was only one spider found each in
recent years. Only the population along the Avery/Caldwell County line in North Carolina seems to be
relatively stable. This population appears to be restricted to the moss mats on a single rock outcrop
and a few surrounding boulders.
References
1. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0" htt s://explorer.natureserve.or /Taxon/ELEMENT,GLOBAL.2.10687
9/Microhexura, montiva a). explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
2. "Taxon details Microhexura montiva_ga Crosby& Bishop, 1925" (http://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/species/
9612 , World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2020-07-15
3. "Spruce fir Moss Spider in North Carolina" (https://www.fws.gov/asheville/htmis/listed species/Sp[
uce fir moss_ spider.htmi), !North Carolina Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
retrieved 2016-03-15
4. Seaborn, Travis; Catley, Kefyn (March 2016). "Abiotic Microhabitat Parameters of the Spruce—Fir
Moss Spider, Microhexura montivaga Crosby and Bishop (Araneae: Dipluridae)" (http://www.bioon
e.org/doi/10.1656/058.015.0105). Southeastern Naturalist. 15 (1): 61-75.
doi:10.1656/058.015.0105 (https://doi.oM/10.1656%2FO58.015.0105). ISSN 1528-7092 (https://w
ww.worldcat.o[g//issn11528-7092). Retrieved 2020-10-16.
External links
■ I's ruce-fir moss slider" (htt�s://www.fws. oycf v/nc-es/spider/sprummoss.html , Asheville Ecological
Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, retrieved 2016-03-15
Further reading
m Crosby CR, Bishop SC (1925). "Two New Spiders from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North
Carolina (Araneina)". Entomological News 36: 142-146. ("Microhexura montivagus [sic]", new
species, pp. 145-146).

Retrieved from "tt s://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spruce-fir moss_spider&oldid=1120027511"
'his page was last edited on 4 November 2022, at 18:08 (UTC).
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; additional terms may apply. By using
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Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Spreading avens(Geum radiatum)
Spreading avens is listed in ECOS as being endangered and is listed as being in or believed to be in
Mitchell County. The Plant is found in high elevations in the Southern Appalachian Mountains along the
border of North Carolina and Tennessee.
Spreading avens grows on mountain tops above 4367 feet in elevation in cervices and in cobble and
rocky areas. Due to the habitat elevation above 4,000 feet the Spreading avens will not be affected in
any way by the permitting of this property.

U.S. Fish&Wildlife Service
ECOS
ESQS /
Spreading avens (Geum radiatum)
Ruge Information lCandidate Info IEedgLWJJegIa= ove ,ICridcal Habitat 1$$0 (Conservation
Plans IP tition< Igjpjoglcal Opinions I Life History
Taxonomy: View taxonomy.in ITIS
Listing Status: Endangered
Where Listed:WHEREVER FOUND
General Information
The species historical range Included North Carolina,Tennessee.See below for information about where
the species is known or believed to occur.
Current Listing Status Summary
Show 10 v entries
Status Date Listed Lead Region where Listed
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Range Information
Current Range
M j Qk Last updated-"142a21-Wherever found
Zoom in!Some species'locations may be small and hard to see from a wide perspective.To narrow-in on locations,check the state and
county lists(below)and then use the zoom tool.
Want the FWS's current range for all species?Click hate to download a zip file containing all Individual shapefiles and metadata for all
species.
*For consultation needs do not use only this current range map,please use IPaC
Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America.The species may also occur
outside this region.
� rn
MYale ^�
Brooktota
v
shww ~~ M1arlotta
�,hetnV was

• CIMese IUMP@ndangered
o States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:North Carolina,Tennessee,Virginia
o US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur.View All
o USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur.
»Candidate Information
No Candidate information available for this species.
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
No Candidate Notice of Review Documents currently available for this species.
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
t►Federal Register Documents
Federal Register Documents
Show 10 entries
Citation Supporting
Date Page Title Documents
04/11/2019 84 FR 14669 Initiation of S-Year Status Reviews for 36 Southeastern S ep cies
14672
07/29/2008 73 FR 43947 S-Y ar Status Review of 20 Southeastern cpe=
43948
04/05/1990 55 FR 12793 EB5T,Determination of Endangered Status for Geum radiatum and Hedyptis
12797 pycpurea var.montana,55 FR 12793 12797
07/21/1989 54 FR 30572 EI11P_'Pr000se_d Fnda ngered Status for Geum radiatum and Hedyotis purnvea var.
Showing 1 to 4 of 4 entries < Previous 1 Next >
» Species Status Assessments (SSAs)
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
No Species Status Assessments(SSA's)are currently available for this species.
Special Rule Publications
No Special Rule Publications currently available for this species.
» Recovery
• Species with Recovery Documents Data Explorer
• Recovery Priority Number:2
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Show t0 v entries
Plan Recovery SSAs/Biological Recovery Implementation
Date Stage Plan Implementation Status Reports Strategies
04/28/1993 Final Spreading Avens View Implementation
.tea
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Other Recovery Documents

Note:This report Includes actual Five Year Review completions and notices as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions and notices.
Show 10 entries
Date Citation Page Title Document Type
04/11/2019 84 FIR 14669 14672 Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 36 Southeastern • Five Year Review Notice,Informatio
$12e[1e5 Solicitation
07/29/2008 73 FIR 43947 43948 S-Y ar Status Review of 20 Southeastern Species • Five Year Review Notice,Informatio
Cnliritarinn
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Five Year Reviews
Note:This report includes actual Five Year Review completions as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions.
Show- 10 entries
Date Title
0 311 7/2 0 2 0 Spreading avenslGeum radiatum)5-Year Review
F -
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 entries < Previous 1 Next >
No Delisting Documents currently available forthis species.
» Critical Habitat
`fit/ No Critical Habitat Documents currently available for this species.
»Conservation Plans
No Conservation Plans currently available for this species.
» Petitions
No Petitions currently available for this species.
» Biological Opinions
No Issued Biological Opinions have been entered into this system for this species.
a. Life History
No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.
»Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species'es RepQM--NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation
Information on more than 50,000 plants,animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada.
NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species,but includes
common plants and animals too.NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with
the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Repy=—I7I5(the Integrated Taxonomic Information System)is a source for authoritative taxonomic
information on plants,animals,fungi,and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library--The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable
collection of selected images,historical artifacts,audio clips,publications,and video."+

WIKIPEDIA
Geum radiatum
Geum radiatum is a rare species of flowering plant in the
rose family known by the common names spreading evens, Geum radiatum
Appalachian avens, and cliff avens. It is native to the
region of the border between Tennessee and North Carolina in
the southeastern United States, where there are eleven known
populations remaining.E?l The plant was federally listed as an
endangered species in iggo.1-4-1
Geum radiatum is a perennial herb with a horizontal rhizome
spreading beneath the soil. From the rhizome, several rosettes
of leaves sprout. What may appear to be separate plants are
actually all clones belonging to one genetic individual, as the I Conservation status
plant reproduces vegetatively. The large leaves are decidedly Presumed I
kidney_-shaped. The stems grow 20 centimeters to half a Extinct At risk Secure
meter (8-20 inches) tall and produces bright yellow flowers in (Gx !GH `G1 ® ;G3: tG4 G5.
the summer months.l4) This Geum looks very different from ( Imperiled (NatureServe)
other species in its genus that grow in the area. Its closest -
relative is probably Geum peckii, which does not occur in the f Scientific_ classification A#
same region.Ibl I Kingdom: Plantae V
Geum radiatum grows on a few tall mountaintops above 1310 , Clade: T_racheo h es
meters (4867 feet) elevation in the southern Appalachians in
eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.4— It sprouts I Clade: Angios�errns
from steep, often vertical cliffs, anchored by its rhizome. I Clade: Eudicots
Conditions are exposed and sunny, and the soil is acidic and
gravelly.RMI Other plants in the habitat include Solidago Clade: Rosids
spithamaea,W Kalmia buxifolia, Menziesia il, IOrder: Rosales
Rhododendron catawbiense, Heuchera villosa, Micranthes I Family: Rosaceae
petiolaris, and species of asters, Ekes, and- grass-es. The I —
forests around the cliffs are dominated by red spruce (Picea Genus: Geum
rubens).t7! Species: G. radiatum
Fifteen known populations exist. Three others have been Binomial name
exti ated; these occurred in areas that were popular
recreational sites for hiking, mountain climbing, and other Geum radiatum
uses.W.. Threats to the remaining populations include erosion, Michx. 1903 not Pursh 1814UL2k
soil compaction from trampling, and development of facilities Synonymsl?t IN
for recreation, such as trails, ski sloes, parking lots, and -
bridges.(4) Poaching is also a problem for this species as a
mountain wildflower with showy yellow blooms. Pollution, Sieversia radiate (Michx.)
including acid rain, may be a threat.N Some of the few G.Don
remaining populations are small, with fewer than 50 plants,(4) ■ Acomastylis radlata F.Bolle
■ Parageum radiatum H.Hara

and the number of genetically separate individuals may be smaller.t6a Climate change threatens the
long term viability of this species.181
references
1. The Plant List (Jun 2011). "Geum radiatum Michx" (http://www.theplantlist.org/tpi/record/tro-27800
899 .
2. Geum radiatum was first described and published in Flora Boreali-Americana 1: 300-301. 1803.
"Name - Geum radiatum Michx" (http.//www.tro icp os.or !g Name/27800899). Tropicos. Saint Louis,
Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
3. The International Plant Names Index (http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do;jsessionid=5
6_63A25F7FA9EAB6C1638F50987CAA95?id=109854-2&back page=%2Fipni%2FeditAdvPlantNa
meSearch.do%3Bisessionid%3D5663A25F7FA9EAB6C1638F5098_7CAA9_5%3Ffnd infragenu
s%3D%26find_geoUnit%3D%26find includePublicationAuthors%3Dtrue%26find addedSince6%3
D%26find family%3D%26find genus%3DGeum%26find infrafamily%3D%26find rankToRetur
n%3Dspec%26find_publicationTitle%30%26find authorAbbrev%313%26find infraspecies%3D%2
6f nd includeBasionymAuthors%3Dtrue%o26find_modifi_edSince%3D%26find species%3Dradiatu
m%26output format%3Dnormal)
4. USFWS. Determination of endangered status for Geum radiatum and Hedyotis purpurea var_
montana. ihttps://ecos.fws.gov/docs/federal register/frl678.pdg Federal RegisterApril 5, 1990.
5. _Geum radiatum. http://www.ncnhp.or /_9 Images/115. dp�f Archived https://we b.archive.org/web/201
10722233824/http://www.ncnhp.org/Images/115. d 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine North
Carolina Natural Heritage Program.
6. Geum radiatum. (http://www.natureserve.o[g/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Geum+r
adiatum The Nature Conservangy.
7. Geum radiatum. htt ://www.centerfor lantconservation.org/collection/cpc ,viewprofile.asp?CPCN
um=2023)Archived https:/lweb.archive.org/web/20101215065419/http://centerforplantconservati
on.orglCollection/CPC ViewProf le.asp?CPCNum=2023) 2010-12-15 at the Wayback Machine
Center for Plant Conservation.
8. "Life at the top: Long-term demography, microclimatic refugia, and responses to climate change
for a high-elevation southern Appalachian endemic plant I Request PDF" (https://www.researchgat
e.net/publication/303892694). ResearchGate. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
External links
■ United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile (https://plants.usda.goyfava/profile?symbol
=GERA2
Retrieved from"https://en.wikipedia.org/wTndex.php?title=Geum radiatum&oldid=1013476315"
This page was last edited on 21 March 2021, at 20:38 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; additional terms may apply. By using
this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia®is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

ENVIRONMENT
SpreadingIntemperate Climes
places,temperatures rise, the • . . .
by Dan Chaprnan June 5, 2022
k'
Photos by Mike Belleme
Thisstory on spreading avens is an excerpt[romA Road Running Southward:Followinglohn Muirsfourney through
an Endangered
i

It's a wonder anything survives the ice,snow,and winds that pummel this ridge,let alone the delicate-seeming
yellow flowers known as spreading avens.
lovely,long-stemmed perennials are exceedingly rare,officially listed as endangered,and found only in the
in emperate highlands of North Carolina and Tennessee.They sprout from shallow acidic soils underlying
craggy rock faces and grassy heath balds,at times blasted with full sun,but mostly shrouded in mist.The avens
are survivors,ice-age throwbacks that refuse to die.
Geum radiatum,the plant's Latin name,is only known to exist in 14 places,including hard-to-find alpine
redoubts reached via deer trail or brambly bushwhacking.
And that is where 1 find Chris Ulrey,the world's preeminent spreading avens expert.Ulrey,a plant ecologist with
the National Park Service,doesn't focus solely on this particular flower,also known as Appalachian avens and
cliff avens.Yet I know of no other G. radiatum aficionado who,over two weeks of each of the last 20 summers,
has scoured the highest peaks of the Blue Ridge monitoring the elusive flowers.
He has also written a series of authoritative reports on the plant's status,all of which underscore that avens are
heading toward extinction due to climate change.Avens,after all,move higher and higher up the mountains in
search of cooler climes.What happens when there's nowhere left to go?
-ome to this mountaintop—the name of which Ulrey requests I not mention so rare-plant hunters and rock
b. ' bens don't come destroy the remaining avens--to find out.
When I arrive,Ulrey is busy,dangling from a 100-foot rope attached to a vertiginous cliff,rappelling between
clumps of avens.At least,one of his colleagues tells me he is.I can't actually see him because he is shrouded in
thick fog on the other side of a 50-foot ravine that promises,with one slippery misstep,a most painful death.
Occasionally,I can hear him chirp out stats on the latest avens colony—length,width,number of rosettes—
either marveling at their hardiness or lamenting their fragility.The colleague duly takes notes and quickly
compares them to the flower's status the previous year.A full scientific accounting will come later.Today is all
about the search,and the scenery.
"This is awesome,"he yells skyward,as a break in the fog allows for a glimpse of the beatific botanist,head
thrown back,arms outstretched,beseeching the heavens.

.r
t
l' r
Top left and right: Spreading avens are seen at an undisclosed location along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Bottom: Marietta
Shattelroe, right, and Claire Martin, middle, work with Dr. Chris Ulrey,a plant ecologist and National Park employee, to monitor
populations of spreading avens, a rare high-elevation plant species.H Photos by Mike Belleme
Most Southerners,if they think about climate change at all,think about the weather.They know about record-
breaking temperatures and increasingly nasty storms.They'll mention droughts or rising seas.They may eve
connect wildfires and flooding to a warming world.Yet there's a widespread perception that climate change is
mainly a coastal phenomenon.Among Americans who live within 25 miles of a coast,70 percent say the

changing climate affects their local community,according to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey.Of those who
live more than 300 miles from the coast,only 57 percent do.
daps the findings aren't that surprising.After all,if you witness ever-higher tides and more frequent coastal
floods,you're more likely to believe that something strange is going on.The changes are more subtle,and
longer range,across the mountains. But those same climatic forces—higher temperatures,more(and less)
precipitation,extreme weather—that hammer the lowlands bedevil every region and ecosystem in the world.
And make no mistake,a warming world portends drastic and irreparable harm to the southern Appalachians,
which John Muir labeled"the most beautiful deciduous forest I ever saw."
Muir never made it to this corner of North Carolina;he crossed the Old North State's southwestern corner
instead.The same hills and vales that so entranced Muir during his post-Civil War trek kept a grip on his
imagination for the rest of his life.It would take three decades,but Muir eventually returned to the verdant,
botanically rich forests of the South.By then he was the nation's most famous naturalist,his name
synonymous with mountains,glaciers,Yosemite,Alaska,and the Sierra Club.
In an 1898 letter to Charles Sprague Sargent,a Harvard University professor and the nation's top tree expert at
the time,Muir wrote:"1 don't want to die without once more saluting the grand,godly,round-headed trees of
the east side of America that I first learned to love and beneath which I used to weep for joy when nobody knew
That fall,Muir joined Sargent and William Canby,a banker and well-regarded amateur botanist,on a month-long
tour of the southern Appalachians.They visited Roan Mountain,the 5-mile-long massif of alpine grasslands that
explode in a riot of red,pink,and white rhododendrons each spring.
Muir,under the weather from days of heavy travel,reposed at the Cloudland Hotel,which straddled the North
Carolina-Tennessee line and afforded magnificent views."All the landscapes in every direction are made up of
mountains,a billowing sea of them without bounds as far as one can look,"he wrote to wife Louie,"and every
mountain hill&ridge&hollow is densely forested with so many kinds of trees their mere names would fill this
sheet."
While Muir made no mention of the spreading avens,other botanical luminaries did.Andr6_Michaux,the famed
French botanist,visited Roan in the late 18th century and shipped specimens back to Paris.Asa Gray,the
ensuing century's botanist extraordinaire,found avens atop Roan"in the greatest profusion."
trey returns every July to study Roan's avens.Compared to The Unnamed Mountain, Roan Mountain is a walk in
the park.Motorists can practically drive to the top of the 6,300-foot mountain.

Its accessibility,though,makes it an imperfect barometer of the plant's health.Hikers who leave the
Appalachian Trail and other routes trample or pick the flowers.Rock climbers,acid rain,second homes,and ski
resorts harm avens elsewhere. �/
But this mountain,perhaps more than any other remote mountaintop,offers a truer—and scarier—barometZF
of the changing climate's impact on avens and mountain ecology.
A view from the Blue Ridge Parkway through the Black Mountains, a series of high-elevation peaks that provide distinct
ecologies at risk from climate change.// Photos by Mike Belleme
"It's pristine;nobody comes out here.There are no recreational impacts,"Ulrey says."It's one of the largest
populations.We haven't recorded many deaths.But we rarely see any young plants,which is a concern.If it
wasn't a long-lived plant,it definitely would've gone extinct long ago."
Avens,most likely,were more abundant at the end of the last ice Age 10,000 years ago.As the glaciers retreated
and the South warmed,the plants were trapped,unable to migrate farther north.So they crept up the
mountains in search of cooler,wetter locales.They settled in their alpine homes above 4,500 feet surroundv
by spruces and firs and,in the case of The Unnamed Mountain,red oaks.They thrive in humid places with
annual temperatures averaging 45 degrees Fahrenheit.Rain and snow amounts may top 100 inches a year. Most

avens face north or northwest,avoiding direct sunlight. Fog is a constant companion.They grow in very shallow
soil,less than an inch deep.
Ys made the endangered species list in 1990.A Fish and Wildlife Service"recovery plan"three years later
11 distinct o ulations•five others had alread been exti ated.Ei ht of the remainin 11 had under one
d populations; Y rp g g g
moderate or significant damage during the previous decade.
Ulrey has a pretty good idea why.In a 2016 paper published in the journal Biological Conservation,he wrote that
the"climate in the southern Appalachians is projected to rapidly change over the coming few decades[and]is
likely to be particularly threatening to rare plants because of their narrow distributions,small population sizes,
and specific habitat requirements."
He's blunter as we talk on top of this mountain.
"At the pace we're going,"he says,"they will not be able to adapt and move—they'll just blink out.n
Southerners are weather experts.They know that an already hot region is getting hotter with nastier storms.
��)was the hottest year on record here,and 2017 and 2016 weren't far behind.
People say,"Oh,it's the South. It's supposed to be hot in the summer."True,but what's different—and freaky—
is how hot the nights are becoming.A century ago,the Southeast experienced seven nights a year where the
temperature stayed above 75 degrees.Now,the temps remain above 75 an average of 15 nights per year.Some
areas can expect an additional 100 very warm nights by the end of the century,according to the Fourth National
Climate Assessment.In all,the temperature in the Southeast is expected to rise an average of 4 to 8 degrees
Fahrenheit by 2100.

i _
.t
Dr. Chris Ulrey, a plant ecologist and National Park employee working on the Blue Ridge Parkway, poses for a portrait on June
1. Ulrey is working with others to monitor and protect spreading avens.// Photos by Mike Belleme
The consequences will be deadly.Already,the Southeast is the most dangerous region for farmers,foresters,
hunters,fishers,construction workers,and garbagemen,accounting for nearly 70 percent of all heat-related
deaths nationwide.By 2090,the intense heat could cost the region forty-seven billion dollars in lost
productivity. Not surprisingly,the poor will suffer most.An alarming 2017 study in the journal Science details
the economic inequality of climate impacts.It modeled 21st-century weather patterns in every U.S.county and
how rising temperatures and sea levels,and other climatic impacts,will hurt the working class.Harvests will
decline.Jobs will disappear.Energy costs will soar.Wildfires will destroy homes and businesses. Heat waves
will turbocharge cardiac and pulmonary diseases.
The heat surge won't be restricted to the Deep South.This century's first decade,for example,was North
Carolina's warmest ever.The relatively cool southern Appalachians won't be exempt,either.Far western North
Carolina can expect 20 or more additional"very hot"days per year by 2060,according to the state's 2020
climate report.
Conversely,the region could see as many as 50 additional nights a year when the temperature fails to drop `./'
below 32 degrees.And it may never again drop below zero in the winter.

"The cool temperatures to which these forests have adapted may no longer exist in the southern Appalachians,
putting the viability of the high-elevation ecosystems at risk,"the report states.
,,.,,t hardiness zones,devised by the U.S.Department of Agriculture as a guide for farmers and gardeners,are
creeping north.The moderate zone currently found in western North Carolina,for example,will migrate to West
Virginia by 2040.You'll easily be able to grow a Georgia peach in the Smokies.
The warming world means robins migrate sooner. Black bears hibernate less.And eastern brook trout,the
piscatory equivalent of spreading avens,swim farther upstream in search of cooler water.Their protective
canopy of majestic hemlocks—"the redwoods of the East—succumbs to a particularly pernicious aphid-like
bug imported from Japan.Nearly half of the trout's historic habitat in the cool Appalachian mountains has
disappeared.In fact,the entire forest is succumbing to climate change.And folks well downstream will suffer.
In the parking lot of Elk Knob State Park,outside Boone,Ulrey recites the safety protocols by memory.It's a cool
and rainy July morning,but the alpine forests of the southern Appalachians aren't known for seasonal
conformity.
A "uology professor from nearby Appalachian State University,a state biologist,and a couple of avens-loving
nteers,including a rock-climbing high school sophomore,have joined him.
We climb into two pickups and head north to The Unnamed Mountain.We turn off the state highway onto a dirt
road,past a handful of abandoned homes,trailers,and salvaged cars and trucks,until two locked farm gates
block our way.Chris unlocks the gate on the right and we jounce upward through tall grasses,purple-flowering
raspberries,and black-eyed Susans that brush the truck like a car wash.
Ulrey grew up in Weaverville,outside Asheville,where his parents ran a nursery and landscaping business.The
"artificialness"of the nursery fueled his desire for the real thing.After a stint in the Army,Chris went up the road
to Mars Hill College(now University)where he met a girl(his future wife)whose father taught botany.He did his
graduate and PhD work in botany at North Carolina State University."I always loved the mountains and wanted
to specialize in the southern Appalachians,„he says.

He's been the botanist for the Blue Ridge Parkway—the nearly 500-mile ribbon of protected mountains and
valleys that connects the Smokies to the Shenandoah—since 1999."1 call myself a plant ecologist,"says Chris,
now a lanky 53-year-old with a white beard and tortoiseshell glasses."1 want to know what makes a plant tick."
The rutted road ends,so we continue on foot.Under red oaks,yellow birch,and tulip poplars.Through thickets
of rhododendron,hawthorn,and flame azalea.Around coneflowers,galax,and Turk's cap lilies.When we can,
we follow the narrow trails carved by deer and bears and marked occasionally by scat.We hike below the
ridgeline in a northeasterly direction.It rains off and on,and fog inhibits views beyond 50 yards.
"The plants here are different than those farther south.They're very large,and they flower more than in other
places,"he explains."I'm interested to see if they respond differently here."
The amphibolites,a series of 5,000-foot peaks untouched by glaciers,run along the Appalachian spine across
the northwest corner of North Carolina.Pockets of calcium-rich soil poke through the metamorphic rock and
nourish rare and disjunct species,including trailing wolfsbane,purple-fringed orchids,and spreading avens.Of
the 14 avens locations that Chris monitors, 10 are located on protected state or federal land.The amphibolitec
offer their best chance at survival. L•.�

After lunch,Ulrey and two climbers gear up and head to the cliff.Chris has partitioned the cliff into thirds;each
climber is responsible for the avens within their transect.Individual plant sites were marked and numbered
with blue aluminum tags a decade ago.
brfei�y descends to his first clump of flowers.He yells out the number on the tag to Sharon Bischoff,the state
park biologist next to me,who records the information on a spreadsheet. He measures the length and width of
the plant,as well as the number of flowers.He tallies the number of rosettes.Bischoff compares this year's
recording to last year's and guides Ulrey to the next clump.
"This is extreme botany,"says Matt Estep,the Appalachian State professor and a plant geneticist who
specializes in the rare and relict plants of the Blue Ridge."There's just so few of the plants left.But this is one of
the best sites for'em.So it's special."
Ulrey continues downward,repeating in almost monotone fashion the demographics of each marked avens,
and evincing little outward alarm over the avens'condition.Earlier,he told me that deaths on this mountain are
less than 10 percent year to year,and that these avens may be decades old.But climate change is a nefarious
beast.The plants themselves may not be succumbing to warmer temperatures just yet;that doesn't mean
they're not getting battered.
"One of my theories is that these mountains used to stay cold all winter and the avens were encased in ice,"he
said."Now they're subjected to multiple freeze-thaw cycles when water gets into the rocks,freezes,and
,...,,ands,causing cracks to get bigger.Eventually,the rock splits and falls apart—and the avens fall off,too."
He reaches the bottom of the cliff.On cue,the fog dissipates,the clouds part and the valley below heaves into
view.The tiny red-roofed barns,emerald-green pastures,and Christmas tree farms paint a strikingly beautiful
picture,a Grandma Moses tableau from a mile in the sky.The ridge-valley pattern extends a hundred miles
northward into Virginia.A red-tailed hawk rides the currents above.And,right below,on the cliff face now
bathed in sunlight,dozens of long-stemmed, bright yellow spreading avens bob in the breeze.
"Nothing seems dramatically different than last year,"Uley says."We're looking for long-term trends.We'll see
declines first at the lowest-elevation populations.The decline could be slow and gradual or rapid.Right now we
are only seeing very small changes,usually due to stochastic events,such as rock fall or ice damage."
Change,though,is coming.Under the currently reckless pace of carbon dioxide emissions,Chris predicts,
more than 80 percent of the avens'habitat could disappear by 2080."Radical"loss of their unique ecological
homes will occur by 2050,regardless of emission levels.The avens,in essence,have reached their apogee.
There's nowhere else for them to go.
"' 'gel like this is an indicator of the whole ecosystem we live in,"he says."If we ignore this,then what's next?In
logy,everything is connected.The more things we take out of the web of life,the more likelihood that the
whole thing collapses."

A Road Running Southward:Following John Muir'slournerp through an Endangered Land,coptpright©2022 Dan
Chapman. Reproduced bp permission of Island Press, Washington, D.C. axAm�iatQn�ln pe
Dan Chapman is a longtime writer, reporter,and lover of the outdoors.He grew up in Washington, D.C. and Tokyo, the
son of a newspaperman and an English teacher.He worked for Congressional Quarterly,The Winston-Salem
Journal,The Charlotte Observer,and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.He currentlrp writes about conservation in
the South for the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service.He lives in Decatur, Georgia with his wife Bita and their two bons,
Samad and Naveed.
-G 2023 by The Assembly.All Rights Reserved.
Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic

Roan Mountain Bluet
\VAW/' Roan Mountain Bluet(Hedyotis purpurea var. montana) is listed in ECOS as being endangered and is
listed as being in or believed to be in Mitchell County. The Plant is found in high elevations in the
Southern Appalachian Mountains along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.
Roan Mountain Bluet is a low growing perennial plant that grows in gravel filled pockets found on north
facing slopes near mountaintops that are 4,00 to 6,200 feet in elevation. Due to the elevation habitat
the Roan Mountain Bluet would not be found on the site and permitting would not affect the species.

U.S. Fish&Wildlife Service
ECOS
Er
OS /
Roan Mountain bIuet (Hedyotis purpurea var. u
montana)
,Range Information I Candidate Info I Federal Resister I Recovery I Critical Habitat ISSA i Conservation Search for images on
Plans I petitions IffLWggicaj Opts I Life History dlglialmedia.hisgov
Taxonomy: Vlewtaxonom_yinlT!S
Listing Status: Endangered
Where Listed:WHEREVER FOUND
General Information
The species historical range included North Carolina,Tennessee.See below for information about where
the species is known or believed to occur.
Current Listing Status Summary
Show 10 � entries
Status Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
Showing i to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
» Range Information
Current Range
BaL % Last Updated:o i4-2o11-Whereverfound
Zoom In!Some species'locations maybe small and hard to see from a wide perspective.To narrow-in on locations,check the state and
county lists(below)and then use the zoom tool.
Want the FWS's current range for all species?Click j=to download a zip file containing all individual shapefiles and metadata for all
species.
+For consultation needs do not use only this current range map,please use JEAL
Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America.The species may also occur
outside this region.
i 1 f
nmr�a
tlllilU � „- �` Lnmli
KinQpoer
FaRLbrn /'
�� ��• J4 L I Y'b Ltwey� Gnen_s u
eratlrfwd rJ atuurvR AsnDoro �.
raa ;
j fM

• Wherever found
Listing status: Endangered
o States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:North Carolina,Tennessee,Virginia
o US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:View All
o USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:
» Candidate Information
No Candidate information available for this species.
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
No Candidate Notice of Review Documents currently available for this species.
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
u Federal Register Documents
Federal Register Documents
Show 10 entries
Citation Supporting
Date Page Title Documents
07/14/2021 86 FIR 37178 Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 37 Southeastern Species;=uest for
37181 information
07/29/2008 73 FIR 43947 5-year Status Review of 20 Southeastern Sp -g;:=
43948
04/05/1990 55 FIR 12793 ETWP,Determination of Endangered Status for Geum radiatum and Hedyotis
12797 pucpurea var.montana•55 FIR 12793 12797
.a 07/21/1989 54 FIR 30572 E WP; Proposed Endangered Status for Ggum radiatum and HedyQlli(NlLourea var.
F
Showing 1 to 4 of 4 entries < Previous 1 Next >
» Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
No Species Status Assessments(SSA's)are currently available for this species.
Special Rule Publications
No Special Rule Publications currently available for this species.
» Recovery
• Species with Recovery Documents Data Explorer
• Recovery Priority Number:8
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Show 10 entries
Plan SSAs/Biological Recovery Implementation
Date Stage Recovery Plan Implementation Status Reports Strategies
05/13/1996 Final Roan Mountain View Implementation
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >

Other Recovery Documents
Note:This report includes actual Five Year Review completions and notices as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions and notices.
Show 10 ientries
Date Citation Page Title Document Type
07/14/2021 86 FIR 37178 37181 Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 37 Southeastern Species;. • Five Year Review Notice, Infr
request for information Solicitation
07/29/2008 73 FR 43947 43948 S-Year Status Review of 20 Southeastern Species • Five Year Review Notice,Inft
Cnliritafinn
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Five Year Reviews
Note:This report includes actual Five Year Review completions as well as records that act as Frye Year Review completions.
Show 10 entries
Date Title
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous i Next >
No Delisting Documents currently available for this species.
>r Critical Habitat
No Critical Habitat Documents currently available for this species.
» Conservation Plans
No Conservation Plans currently available for this species.
» Petitions
No Petitions currently available for this species.
» Biological Opinions
No Issued Biological Opinions have been entered into this system for this species.
» Life History
No Life History information has been entered Into this system for this species.
»Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports--Nature5erve Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation
information on more than 50,000 plants,animals and ecological communities of the U.S and Canada.
Nature5erve Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species,but includes
common plants and animals too.Nature5erve Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with
the Natural Heritage Network.
1TIS Reports--ITIS(the Integrated Taxonomic Information System)is a source for authoritative taxonomic
information on plants,animals,fungi,and microbes of North America and the world. \�
FWS Digital Media Library—The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable
collection of selected images,historical artifacts,audio clips,publications,and video."+

ENCYCLopedia•com
Roan Mountain Bluet
CENGAGE Views 3,304,317 Updated
Roan Mountain Bluet
Hedyotis purpurea var. montana
Status Endangered
Listed April 5, 1990
Family Rubiaceae (Coffee)
Description Low-growing perennial with clusters of bright
purple flowers.
Habitat Steep mountaintop slopes and cliffs.
Hikers, recreational and residential
Threats
development.
North Carolina (/places/united-states-and-
Range canada/us-political-geography/north-carolina).,
Tennessee
Description
The Roan Mountain bluet is a low-growing perennial with square, narrowly winged stems,
which form loose tufts 4 in (10 cm) to 6 in (15 cm)tall. The untoothed leaves are arranged in
opposite pairs. Terminal clusters of bright, four-petaled, purple flowers appear in July and early
August. This variety is easily distinguished from other bluets by its relatively large reddish
purple flowers, relatively small sessile ovate leaves, compact stature and clump-forming
growth habit, and its exposed mountaintop habitat. The species has also been known by the
names Houstonia montana and H. purpurea var. montana.
The four main flower visitors, listed in decreasing order of probable pollination effectiveness,
were small staphylinid beetles, bumblebees, syrphid flies, and ants. A field experiment showed
that hand-pollination, using mixed pollen donors, could not boost the percentage of seeds set
above the 50% level achieved by natural pollinator activity. The hand-pollination study also
provided insight into the breeding system and genetic integrity of the Roan Mountain study
population. Plants of both heterostyly morphs did not set seeds when self-pollinated but did set
normal levels of seeds when cross-pollinated with pollen from the opposite morph. This
suggests that this population of Roan Mountain bluet is self-incompatible, as is expected in a

heterostylous breeding system. Moreover, plants that were hand-pollinated, using neighboring
pollen donors, set seeds just as well as naturally pollinated plants and just as well as plants
that were hand-pollinated using distant, presumably unrelated, pollen donors. Inbreeding
depression was not evident in the study population.
Asexual propagation occurs in late summer when Roan Mountain bluets begin to produce
basal rosettes from rhizome buds. Field observations revealed some evidence of fungal
pathogens and vertebrate grazing in the study population during late summer.
Habitat
Roan Mountain bluet is endemic to mountaintop sites in western North Carolina
(/places!united-states-and-canada/us-political-geograpy/north-carolina)and eastern
Tennessee. It is an early successional plant that grows in shallow, acidic soils on sunny slopes,
cliffs, and rock outcrops.
The plants typically grow in gravel-filled pockets found on northor northwest-facing cliff ledges
or on talus slopes associated with outcrop exposures on the south or southwest slopes of
mountain balds. Winter freezes and thaws can chum gravelly substrates, potentially burying or
exposing seeds, dislodging rooted plants, and exposing new substrate for recolonization.
During the growing season (!plants-and-animals/botany/botany_generai gr_g-season),

these sites are often bathed by water condensing from up-welling air, frequent mountain fogs,
passing mid-elevation clouds, or summer thunderstorms.Although outcrop soils are relatively
high in organic matter(!earth-and-environment/ecolog -and-environmentalism/environmental-
studies/organic-matter)compared to typical mineral soils, they are still shallow.Therefore,
once moist conditions pass, the soils drain rapidly and dry out within two to three days.
Plants growing on most cliff sites receive direct sunlight for less than half the day. In comparing
presence versus absence data, it was found a correlation between relatively low levels of solar
radiation and the presence of Roan Mountain bluet(potential solar radiation decreases with an
increasing north aspect and slope steepness). Plants growing on the talus slopes of balds
potentially receive more hours of direct light, but their lower leaves are often shaded by
neighboring forbs. Frequent fog and clouds further reduce the amount of light the plants
receive during the growing season (Iplants-and-animals/botany/botany_general/growing=
season). Surface temperatures are moderated throughout the year by winds and the thermal
mass of rock outcroppings.
Associated species include sand myrtle, Catawba rhododendron, asters, sedges, goldenrod,
alumroot, mountain saxifrage, and various grasses. On some sites it occurs along with
spreading avens,which is federally listed as endangered. It is also found with Heller's blazing
star, which are listed as threatened. Surrounding coniferous forest is dominated by red spruce
and Fraser fir, a candidate for federal listing.
Distribution
Within the past few years, the existence of eight populations of Roan Mountain bluet have
been documented, all on mountain peaks in northwestern North Carolina(Ashe,Avery,
Watauga, and Mitchell Counties).An additional population was last observed in 1980 at a site

in Yancey County, North Carolina, but the population has not been re-confirmed since then,
despite several search efforts, and is now presumed to be extirpated. The cause of this
extirpation is not clear but probably reflects a combination of successional change, small
population size, and trampling by hikers.The Tennessee portion of the Roan Mountain 114VJI�
population also may now be extirpated.
Most of the populations are spread among cliff ledges that are difficult to census without
climbing gear. Current estimates of population size are based on crude visual estimates of the
numbers of plant clumps found in accessible portions of these populations.
Each of the three largest populations— Grandfather Mountain, Roan Mountain, and Bluff
Mountain—reportedly contains 1,000 or more plant clumps. However, these populations are
highly fragmented, and individual colonies within each population rarely contain more than 250
clumps. Each of the five smallest populations—Three Top Mountain, Paddy Mountain,
Phoenix Mountain, Rich Mountain, and Hanging Rock— probably contains less than 100 plant
clumps. Populations have not been counted or mapped until recently; therefore, it is not known
if the populations are maintaining themselves.
Two populations of Roan Mountain bluet are found at the juncture of Avery and Watauga
Counties, North Carolina; one is at the boundary of Mitchell and Avery Counties, North
Carolina, and Carter County, Tennessee; two are in Ashe County, North Carolina, and one is in
Watauga County, North Carolina.
The surviving populations are small and vulnerable. One site located on Forest Service land
contains 41%of the known species population.

Roan Mountain bluet populations may be better described as metapopulations; each
population consists of a series of discrete subpopulations isolated from each other by 328.1 ft
(100 m)to several kilometers of intervening habitat. It is unknown whether these
subpopulations survive indefinitely; each may be threatened either because of natural
biological processes, such as successional encroachment by native plants or the local build-up
of pathogens or herbivores, or because of vegetational destruction caused by severe weather
conditions such as freeze/thaw cycles, downpour-induced landslides, or I ightening ignited fires.
Threats
The main threats to the Roan Mountain bluet are habitat disturbance by hikers and
recreational and residential development. The largest remaining population is on public land
heavily used by hikers, rock climbers, and sightseers. Two populations are on sites that have
been developed for commercial recreation. The construction of roads, trails, and parking lots
threatens the remaining populations.The presence of Roan Mountain bluet needs to be taken
into account when construction is planned.
Roan Mountain bluet faces additional long-term threats from natural processes.As an early
successional plant, it is susceptible to invasion by shrubs and trees, which would shade out
the remaining populations. In addition, the surrounding high elevation forest is suffering a
drastic decline caused by air pollution (/science-and-technology/biology-and-
genetics/environmental-studies/air-pollution)and the invasion of an exotic insect, the balsam
woolly aphid. The loss of these forests might allow the habitat to become too and to support
healthy, reproducing Roan Mountain bluet populations.

Conservation and Recovery
In North Carolina, the Natural Heritage Program, the North Carolina chapter of the Nature
Conservancy, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working with landowners to protect
and manage Roan Mountain bluet sites.The Nature Conservancy owns part of one cliff-side IN4�
site and is monitoring and protecting its populations by limiting public visitation. The U.S.
Forest Service owns the Roan Mountain site and the historic Big Bald site, and is trying to
protect the species by placing new recreational facilities away from known locations and by
creating innocuous natural barriers to discourage access and trampling at heavily used
locations. Unfortunately, these barriers have not proven particularly effective in alleviating
visitor impacts at scenic public recreation areas where the Roan Mountain bluet grows.
Fortunately, current landowners support conservation efforts at all three large sites. Potential
recovery success is highest for the Roan Mountain population, found entirely on national forest
lands. Federal law mandates protection of this population, and cooperation has been
established with the U.S. Forest Service. Potential recovery success is also high for the
Grandfather Mountain population. Much of this population is in remote or inaccessible areas,
and the private landowner has shown a serious conservation commitment by donating a
conservation easement that protects much of the bluefs habitat. He has also rerouted visitor
traffic at one popular location to protect two other federally threatened plant species. Recovery
efforts are also promising for the third large population—the Nature Conservancy's Bluff
Mountain Nature Preserve. However, most of this population is on steep cliff sides,just beyond
the preserve's property boundaries, and will require further work.
The North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville recently became an allied facility of the Center for
Plant Conservation.They have proposed to serve as the seed-storage and plant-propagation
facility for Roan Mountain bluet and have established a collection of specimens in cooperation
with the North Carolina Plant Conservation Program.

Contact
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Regional Office, Division of Endangered Species
1875 Century Blvd., Suite 200
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
http://southeast.fws.gov/ (http://southeast.fws.gov/),
References
Kral, R. 1983.A Report on Some Rare, Threatened, or Endangered Forest-related Vascular
Plants of the South (/places/united-states-and-canada/miscellaneous-us-geography/south).
(/social-sciences-and-law/political-science-and-govemmenVus-governmentlunited-states-
department)United States (/places/united-states-and-canada/us-political-geographyJunited-
states) Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Technical Publication R8-TP2.
Massey, J., P. Whitson, and T.Atkinson. 1980. "Endangered and Threatened Plant Survey of
Twelve Species in the Eastern Part of Region Four." U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. May 13, 1996. "Recovery Plan for Roan Mountain Bluet." U. S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 46 pp.
Beacham's Guide to the Endangered Species of North America
More From encyclopedla.com

WilL[�►" CyL"f TH
(https://wildsouth.org/)
Roan Mountain Bluet (Houstonia
purpurea var. montana)
By Wild South (https://wiIdsouth.org/author/wsadmin/) I August 27, 2014
(http://wiIdsouth.org/wp-
content/u p I oa d s/2014/08/roa
n-mtn-bluet.jpg)Roan
Mountain Bluet (Houstonia
purpurea var. montana)
By Carson Feather Whitmore
This native annual flower appears in the early spring and really blooms brilliantly from May through
September. Houstonia purpurea is its scientific name, "purpurea" describing it's purple color (Tiny
Bluet (Houstonia pusilla) describes"pusilla" or "insignificant'). While the Roan Mountain Bluet may
be small in size, its brilliant blue color is a sight not to be missed. The Roan Mountain Bluets are
known for their purple-reddish color and small oval leaves. Bluets are ground cover or mat species
and the Roan Mountain Bluet is found in its unique high elevation habitat (4,600-6,200ft) on rocky
exposures in the northern counties of western NC.
Each year, bees, beetles, flies, ants and other insects are drawn to the sweet smelling nectar and
help to pollinate these brilliant flowers. If you look closely, you'll see a bright colors and stamen
around the center. This"eye" draws in pollinators (or curious naturalists)to the pollen-covered
stamens.

' In the spring and summer, keep an eye out
along trails for these special species.You're
likely to find the lush but delicate flowers
`/growing near Roan Mountain in the high
elevations of Western North Carolina (Ashe, '
i
Avery, Mitchell, Watauga Counties).Tread
lightly and be gentle because these special
flowers are endangered and can be easily
disturbed.
Roan Mountain Bluets are listed as
Endangered and are threatened due to
development on private land and
sometimes the populations can be trampled on cliffs or trails on public land. Wild South
(http://wildsouth.org), ENO (http://www.eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com/)and Footsloggers
(http://www.footsloggers.com/) are proud partners that support the protection of areas necessary
for species like Roam Mountain Bluet. Practice your skills of Leave No Trace, be mindful of where
you pitch a tent and step foot, and be aware of the amazing bluets beneath you. By sleeping in an
ENO (http://www.eagiesnestoutfiittersinc.com/) hammock,you'll definitely tread more lightly, and
stop In to see our friends at Footsloggers(http://www.footsloggers.com/)in the High Country who
�./ can direct you to some of these wild trails in search of bluets and other flowers.Though tiny, Roan
Mountain Bluets are a part of our special ecosystem and with we work steadfast to sustain a lasting
legacy of wild places and wild things like this tiny purple friend of ours!
F TROGGERS
(http://wildsouth.org/wp-
10.• �
content/u p I oa d s/2014/08/fo ots I ogge rs.j pg)
http://www.fws.gov/ra leigh/species/es_roan_mtn_bluet.html
http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2013/jan/scout3 florafact_bluet/
http://md c.mo.goWd iscover-nature/fie ld-gu ide/smal l-bl uet-ti ny-bl uet-sta r-violet

Blue Ridge Goldenrod
Blue Ridge Goldenrod (Solidgo spithamaea)is listed by the US Fish and Wildlife in the ECOS as Proposed
Endangered(wherever found)and is listed as being in or believed to be in Mitchell County.
Blue Ridge Goldenrod grows in full sunlight in dry rock crevices of granite outcrops on the higher peaks
of the Appalachian Mountains in acidic soils at elevations above 4,000 feet. Due to the habitat
requirements,the Blue Ridge Goldenrod would not be present on the site and permitting the site would
have no effect on the species.
1-04�

U.S. Fish&Wildlife Service
ECOS
LC-M /
Blue Ridge goldenrod (Solidago spithamaea)
Bmge information I Candidate Info I Federal Resister I Recovery I riti al Habitat I559 I Conservadon
Plays [Petitions I@LologLc"pinlons II-ife History
Taxonomy: View taxonomy In ITIS Searchforimageson
digltalmedfa.(wsgov
Listing Status: Threatened
Where Listed:WHEREVER FOUND
General Information
The species historical range included North Carolina,Tennessee.See below for information about where
the species is known or believed to occur.
Current Listing Status Summary
Show 10 a entries
Status Date Listed Lead Region - Where Listed
r ,
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
»Range Information
Current Range
M 3 1Q Laat Updated:aL73,V2f-wherever found
Zoom In!Some species'locations may be small and hard to see from a wide perspective.To narrow-in on locations,check the state and
county lists(below)and then use the zoom tool.
Want the FWS's current range for all species?ClickIlm to download a zip file containing all individual shapefiles and metadata for all
species.
*For consultation needs do not use only this current range map,please use I&L
Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America.The species may also occur
outside this region.
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o States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur.North Carolina,Tennessee
o US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:View All
o USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:
m Candidate Information
No Candidate information available for this species.
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
No Candidate Notice of Review Documents currently available for this species.
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
» Federal Register Documents
Federal Register Documents
Show 10 entries
Supporting
Date Citation Page Title Documents
08/06/2018 83 FR 38320 5-Year Status Reviews for 42 Southeastern Species Notice of initiation and request
38323 for information
07/29/2008 73 FR 43947 5-Year Status Review of 20 Southeastern Species
43948
03/28/1985 50 FR 12306 Determination of Thr.Status for Solid agg-s ithR amen (@(ue$iQge.Goldenrod);50 FR
12309 1230612309
07/23/1984 49 FR 29629 Proposed Thr.Status for Solidagq-spithamaea Blue i ge goldenrod),49 FR 29629-
Showing 1 to 4 of 4 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Species Status Assessments (SSAs)
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
No Species Status Assessments(SSA's)are currently available for this species.
Special Rule Publications
No Special Rule Publications currently available for this species.
a Recovery
• .5neci with R cov ry Documents Data Ex Ip oar t
• Recovery Priority Number:8
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Show 10 entries
Plan Implementation SSAs/Blological Recovery Implementation
Date Stage Recovery Plan Status Reports Strategies
10/28/1987 Final Blue..Ridge V elf Implementation
Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Other Recovery Documents

Note:This report includes actual Fhre Year Review completions and notices as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions and notices.
Show 10 entries
Date . Citation Page Title - Document Type
08/06/2018 83 FR 38320 38323 5-Year Status Reviews for 42 Southeastern Snpfl <;Notice pj' • Five Year Review Notice,
initiation and request for information Information Solicitation
07/29/2008 73 PR 43947 43948 5-Year Status Review of 20 Southeastern SpggiQ4 • Five Year Review Notice,
Infnrm�tinn[nlirifatlnn
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 entries < Previous 1 Next >
Five Year Reviews
Note:This report includes actual Five Year Review completions as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions.
Show 10 v entries
Date Title
D5/20/2019 @1uE.RiSlg€gold.€nrod(5411dagQ-5 m )5-Year Review ._
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 entries < Previous 1 Next >
No Delisting Documents currently available for this species.
»Critical Habitat
`I/ No Critical Habitat Documents currently available for this species.
a Conservation Plans
No Conservation Plans currently available for this species.
» Petitions
No Petitions currently available for this species.
»Biological Opinions
No Issued Biological Opinions have been entered Into this system for this species.
»Life History
No Life History Information has been entered Into this system for this species.
»Other Resources
Nat tr S ry xnlorer Species R pgt(5.—NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation
information on more than 50,000 plants,animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada.
NatureServe Explorer provides In-depth information on rare and endangered species,but includes
common plants and animals too.NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with
the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reppjj�--ITS(the Integrated Taxonomic Information System)is a source for authoritative taxonomic
information on plants,animals,fungi,and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library—The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable
collection of selected Images,historical artifacts,audio clips,publications,and video."+

ENCYCLopedia•com
Blue Ridge Goldenrod
CENGAGE Views 1,353,197 Updated
Blue Ridge (/places/united-statesand-canada/us-
physical-geography/blue-ridge) Goldenrod
Solidago spithamaea
Status Threatened
Listed March 28, 1985
Family Compositae (Asteraceae)
Description Erect, perennial herb with lanceshaped leaves
and yellow flowers.
Habitat Dry rock crevices.
Threats Recreational use of habitat.
North Carolina (/places/united-states-and-
Range canada/us-political-geography/north-Carolina),,
Tennessee
Description
Blue Ridge (/places/united-states-and-Canada/us-physical-geography/blue-ridge),goldenrod,
Solidago spithamaea, is an erect perennial herb, 4-8 in (10.2-20.3 cm) tall, arising from a
short, stout rhizome. The stem is thickened and strongly ribbed at the base, and becomes
tinged with red toward the end. Leaves are smooth, lance-or spatula-shaped, 3.2-6 in (8-15
cm) long. The plant produces yellow flower heads arranged in a flattened cluster, called a
corymbiform inflorescence. The plant spreads vegetatively by extending shoots from its
rhizome.
Blue Ridge goldenrod is one of a few southeastern representatives of a genus that is more
widespread in northern alpine habitats. The name of the genus comes from the Latin words
solidus and ago —to make firm—and refers to purported healing properties of the plant family.
Habitat
Blue Ridge goldenrod grows in full sunlight in dry rock crevices of granite outcrops on the
higher peaks of the Appalachian Mountains (/places/united-states-and-canada/us-physical-
geography/appalachian-mountains) that experience perhaps the most extreme winter

conditions in North Carolina (lplaceslunited-states-and-canadalus-political-geography/north-
c rolina)and Tennessee.The shallow soils are highly acidic. The habitat elevation is above
4,000 ft(1219.2 m).
,M.d
Distribution
This plant is endemic to the higher Appalachian mountain peaks of North Carolina and eastern
Tennessee.
Of the three known populations of Blue Ridge goldenrod, two are located on private land at
Grandfather Mountain and at Hanging Rock in Avery County, North Carolina. The third
population occurs within the Cherokee National Forest at Roan Mountain, straddling Mitchell
County, North Carolina, and Carter County, Tennessee.The most vigorous stands of the plant,
numbering several thousand stems, grow on Grandfather Mountain.

Threats
Blue Ridge goldenrod has been damaged by large-scale recreational development of at least
three other open mountain summits where it formerly grew. Constriction of observations`
platforms, trails, parking lots, access roads, and suspension bridges destroyed plants and
opened previously inaccessible portions of habitat to hikers and sight-seers, who have
severely disturbed plant sites.As one botanist put it, Blue Ridge goldenrod seems to have an
instinct for growing in the most scenic sites, thus coming underfoot.
Conservation and Recovery
Hanging Rock is currently being developed into a ski and resort area, but the landowner has
agreed to cooperate in the site's protection. Grandfather Mountain is also being developed as
a commercial recreational site, but a conservation agreement has been in place there since
1983, ensuring cooperation of the landowner.
Additional development in the National Forest will not occur without proper consideration of
effects on goldenrod populations. The Forest Service has crafted a management strategy to
rid goldenrod sites of encroaching shrubs and will consider redirecting hiking trails away from
plant populations.The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, and the North
Carolina Department of Agriculture have cooperated extensively to conserve the plant.
The Blue Ridge Goldenrod Recovery Plan sets the objective of attaining five self-sustaining,
protected populations. This will require stabilizing and expanding the three existing populations
and discovering or transplanting at least two more.At that point,the species could be
considered for delisting.
Contact
Regional Office of Endangered Species
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1875 Century Blvd., Suite 200
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
http://southeast.fws.gov/ (http://southeast.fws.gov/). llv�

References
Keener, C. S. 1983. "Distribution and Biohistory of the Endemic Flora of the Mid-Appalachian
Shale Barrens."Botanical Review 49(1):65-115.
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1987. "The Blue Ridge Goldenrod Recovery Plan." U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service,Atlanta.
Beacham's Guide to the Endangered Species of North America
More From encyclopedia.com
Desert Tortoise Blue Whale
�.a1

Carolina Northern flying Squirrel
Carolina Northern flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus)is listed by the US Fish and Wildlife in
the ECOS as Proposed Endangered (wherever found) and is listed as being in or believed to be in
Mitchell County. Although named as a flying squirrel this species actually glides and is nocturnal.
The Carolina Northern flying Squirrels preferred habitat is an area with an abundance of conifer trees,
dominated by spruce,fir and mixed hemlock trees. No spruce or fir tree exist at the site and the species
is not believed to be present.

U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service
ECOS
Frnc
Carolina northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys
sabrinus coloratus)
&nge Information I Candidate info I Federal Register I Recovery. I Critical Habitat 155A I Conservation Search for Images on
Plans JPetition 10igjQgical Opinions 11-ifeHistorv, digitalmediaAws.gov
Taxonomy: View taxonomy in ITl
Listing Status: Endangered
Where Listed: WHEREVER FOUND
General Information
The northern flying squirrel is a small nocturnal gliding mammal some 260 to 305 millimeters(1 O to 12 inches)in total length and 95-140
grams(3-5 ounces)In weight It possesses a long,broad,flattened tail(80 percent of head and body length),prominent eyes,and dense,
siiky fur.The broad tail and folds of skin between the wrist and ankle form the aerodynamic surface used for gliding.Adults are gray with a
brownish,tan,or reddish wash on the back,and grayish white or buffy white ventrally.juveniles have uniform dark,slate-gray backs,and
off-white undersides.The northern flying squirrel can be distinguished from the southern flying squirrel by its larger size;the gray base of
its ventral hairs as opposed to a white base in the southern species;the relatively longer upper tooth row,and the short,stout baculum
(penis bone)of the males.
The species historical range included North Carolina,Tennessee.See below for information about where
the species is known or believed to occur.
Current Listing Status Summary
Show 10 w entries
Status Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
Showing 1 to 1 of i entries < Previous 1 Next >
Range Information
Current Range - —_- --_-
O L 4 last Updated:061&M21 Wherever found
Zoom in]Some species'locations may be small and hard to see from a wide perspective.To narrow-in on locations,check the state and
county lists(below)and then use the zoom tool.
Want the FWS's current range for all species?Click bgrg to download a zip file containing all individual shapefiles and metadata for all
species.
"For consultation needs do not use only this current range map,please use jP_aC.
Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America.The species may also occur
outside this region.
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j Alum: - � •� J
o USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur: \\
N Candidate Information
No Candidate information available for this species-
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
Candidate Notice of Review Documents
Show 10 v entries
Date Citation Page Title
F
Showing 1 to 1 of i entries < Previous 1 Next >
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
Federal Register Documents
Federal Register Documents
Show 10 entries
Citation Supporting
Date Page Title Documents
06/20/2019 84 FR 28850 Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 53 Southeastern Species;Notice of reviews;,
28853 =uest for information
09121/2007 72 FR 54057 5-Year Review of 16 Southeastern Speriec
54059
07/01/1985 50 FR 26999 Determination of End Status for 2 Kinds of Northern FlYiag5qu1mde 50 FR 26999-
27002 27002
11/21/1964 49 FR 45880 &400sed End.Status for 2 Kinds of Northern Flying Squirrel;49 FR 45880-45884
45884
12/30/1982 47 FR 58454 Review of Vertebrate Wildlife for Listing as End or Thr.Species
F
Showing 1 to 5 of 5 entries < Previous 1 Next >
n Species Status Assessments (SSAs)
Species Status Assessments(SSAs)
No Species Status Assessments(SSA's)are currently available for this species.
Special Rule Publications

No Special Rule Publications currently available for this species.
» Recovery
• Species with Recovery.Documents Data Explorer
�r Recovery Priority Number:6C
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Show 10 .. entries
Plan implementation SSAs/Biological Recovery Implementab
Date Stage Recovery Plan Status Reports Strategies
09/24/1990 Final Appalachian Northern Flvjng view Implementation
f >
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Other Recovery Documents
Note:This report includes actual Five Year Review completions and notices as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions and notices.
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Date . Citation Page Title Document Type
06/20/2019 84 FIR 28850 28853 Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 53 Southeastern Species;. • Five Year Review Notice,
Notice_ of rev ;=uest for information Information Solicitation '
09/21/2007 72 FR 54057 54059 5-Year Review of 16 Southeastern SpgLjec • Five Year Review Notice,
Infnrm�tinn Cnl4ihahlnn
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Five Year Reviews
Note:This report includes actual Five Year Review completions as well as records that act as Five Year Review completions.
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Date Title
03/10/2022 Carolina Northern FIVjOg-5gIjk E1-(Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus)5-Year Review 2022
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ANIMALIA NORTHERN FLYING 4
SQUIRREL
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Population Facts I
Habits
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NORTHERN FLYING
SQUIRREL
Northern flying squirrel
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KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Chordata
SUBPHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Mammalia
ORDER Rodentia
FAMILY SCIUrldae
TRIBE Pteromyini

ANIMALIA NORTHERN FLYING Q
SQUIRREL
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Population Facts I
Habits
The northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus ) is one of three species of the
genus Glaucomys, the only flying squirrels found in North America. They are found in
coniferous and mixed coniferous forests across much of Canada, from Alaska to
Nova Scotia, and south to the mountains of North Carolina and west to Utah in the
United States. They are light brown with pale underparts and grow to a length of 25
to 37 cm (10 to 15 in). They are proficient gliders but uncoordinated walkers on the
ground. They feed on a variety of plant material as well as tree sap, fungi, insects,
carrion, bird eggs and nestlings. They mostly breed once a year in a cavity lined with
lichen or other soft material. Except when they have young, they change nests
frequently, and in winter a number of individuals may huddle together in a shared
nest. Unlike most members of their family, flying squirrels are strictly nocturnal.
Noctt rnal Gran'vore Herbivore Mycophage Arboreal
Altr'mai Zoochory Scansonal Terrestrial
with

ANIMALIA NORTHERN FLYING Q
SQUIRREL
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating population Facts f
Habits
I ne IVormern Ilying squirrel Is a Morin fifTlerlcan rooeni Wlin long WnISKers ano a
flattened tail. As a matter of fact, this mammal doesn't fly, but glides, using the fold
of skin, found between its wrists and ankles. When gliding, this crease of skin
extends, allowing the animal to 'fly', whereas the tail acts as a rudder. The Northern
flying squirrel is a nocturnal creature that lives in forested areas. It has brown fur on
the upper parts, which fades to buffy-white on the belly.
Photos with Northern Flying
Squirrel

ANIMALIA NORTHERN FLYING Q
SQUIRREL
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating population Facts I
Habits
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ANIMALIA NORTHERN FLYING Q
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Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Population Facts
Habits
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ANIMALIA NORTHERN FLYING Q
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ANIMALIA NORTHERN FLYING
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Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Population Facts
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Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating population Facts I
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Distribution
Geography
CONTINENTS
North America

ANIMALIA NORTHERN FLYING Q
SQUIRREL
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating population Facts I
Habits
MF BIOMES
Taiga, Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest, Temperate coniferous
forest
Endemic to North America, the northern flying squirrel is widely distributed
throughout much of the continent form from Alaska, eastwards to Canada and the
eastern provinces, southwards to interior regions of the United States, reaching
southern California. The preferred habitat of this species is an area with an
abundance of conifer trees. This rodent occurs in large numbers in deciduous and
mixed coniferous/deciduous forests. Other suitable habitats include areas,
dominated by spruce, fir, and mixed hemlocks; beech maple forests; areas with
abundant growth of white spruce and birch, alternating with aspen groves.
Biome
[.sorest'
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Climate zones

ANIMALIA NORTHERN FLYING Q
SQUIRREL
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating population Facts I
Habits
cr
Habits and Lifestyle
Northern flying squirrels are social animals. They often form groups of 8 individuals,
typically including matures squirrels and juveniles. In addition, multiple individuals
have been known to live in the same nest. During the winter months, these squirrels
gather into same-sex units in order to keep warm. Northern flying squirrels are
strictly nocturnal animals. They have two periods of activity during the day: one
occurs an hour after sunset, lasting around 2 hours, whereas the other begins 2
hours before sunrise, lasting for 1 .5 - 2 hours. During the year, each individual may
have several dens. The winter dens of this species are usually cavities in conifer
trees. Since they don't hibernate, multiple individuals may live in a single den during
this period to conserve heat. These rodents are one of the most aerodynamically
sophisticated gliding mammals. They are able to glide for as long as 5 - 45 meters at
a time (20 average), though flights as long as 90 meters have been recorded.

ANIMALIA NORTHERN FLYING Q
SQUIRREL
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating population Facts I
Habits
LIFESTYLE
Arboreal, Altricial, Gliding, Zoochory, Scansorial, Terrestrial,
Territorial,
SEASONAL BEHAVIOR
Not a migrant
Diet and Nutrition
Northern flying squirrels are herbivores (granivores) and generally feed upon nuts,
acorns, fungi, and lichens. They also consume fruits, buds, sap, insects, and eggs of
various birds.
DIET Granivore, Herbivore, Mycophage
Mating Habits
REPRODUCTION SEASON March-May
PREGNANCY DURATION 37-42 days
BABY CARRYING 2-4 kittens
INDEPENDENTAGE 3 months

A N O M A L I A NORTHERN FLYING Q
SQUIRREL
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Population Facts I
Habits
polygynandrous (promiscuous) (both males and females have multiple mates)
mating systems. They mate from March to late May. The gestation period lasts for 37
- 42 days, yielding 1 - 6 young with an average of 2 - 4 per year. Males usually don't
participate in rearing the offspring. The babies are born undeveloped with closed
eyes and ears, fused toes as well as a cylindrical tail. They are extremely tiny and
weigh only 5 - 6 grams at birth. Their fused toes separate by the 6th day of their
lives, while the eyes open after 31 days old. At about 40 days old, young squirrels
leave the nest. Complete weaning occurs after 2 months of age, by they often
continue living for their mother until 3 months old. They are ready to produce
offspring during the summer following their birth.

ANIMALIA NORTHERN FLYING Q
SQUIRREL
Description Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Mating Population Facts I
Habits
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POPULATION TREND
Stable
POPULATION STATUS
Least concern (LC)
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DD LC NT VU EN CR EW EX
Population
Population threats

ANIMALIA NORTHERN FLYING 4
SQUIRREL
Description A Mating
p Appearance Gallery Distribution Lifestyle Diet Habits Population Facts I
According to IUCN, the Northern flying squirrel is common and widespread
throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Today, this
species' numbers are stable and it is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN
Red List.
Fun Facts for Kids
When gliding, these rodents may perform full semi-circles during a
single 'flight'.
These squirrels use a wide variety of vocalizations, including sharp
squeaking calls, soft 'chirps', chuckling noises, "churring", "whining" as
well as various musical whistles.
Inspired by the gliding habits of flying squirrels, humans have made a
special suit that imitates this rodent and is used by base jumpers and
skydivers, allowing to slow their descent and perform different
maneuvers while flying.
During a glide, these agile rodents are able to male turns of up to 180
degrees. The longest known 'flight' of the Northern flying squirrel was
as long as 300 feet, although this animal rarely travels such long
distances.