A bird species that has disappeared from the Los Padres National Forest and is now on the brink of extinction could receive state protection.
The California Fish and Game Commission voted to designate the Mt. Pinos sooty grouse as a candidate for protection under the state’s Endangered Species Act.
These heavy-set birds look like chickens and live in fir and pine trees. The grouse subspecies was found in parts of Ventura and Kern Counties near the Mt. Pinos and Frazier Mountain region. But they've disappeared, with a small remaining population believed to be in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains.
Environmentalists say logging, livestock grazing, fire suppression, and rural development have damaged the bird’s habitat, leading to the massive population drop.
The Center for Biological Diversity and Los Padres ForestWatch petitioned the state to consider the birds for protected status. The birds will get protections while the petition is being considered.
