Special Issue on the Status, Management, and Conservation of the Tricolored Blackbird

Abstract

The Tricolored Blackbird is a near-endemic of the Central Valley and a symbol for the Central Valley Bird Club (see cover). It truly is “California’s Blackbird”.  The species is in trouble for a variety of reasons, and the solutions are not obvious or easy to achieve. In December 2014, the California Fish and Game Commission listed the Tricolor as Endangered under its emergency protection procedure, and the species has been petitioned for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. These actions, however, are not a solution.  Rather, they are the start of a new chapter in conservation efforts.