AUSTIN (KXAN) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its report on the Golden-Cheeked Warbler's conservation status Monday, where it recommends that the U.S. Secretary of the Interior downgrade the bird species from endangered to threatened.
The service said in a Tuesday press release that its review used "the best available scientific and commercial data" as well as "contributions from scientific experts, including an independent peer and technical review by federal, state, and local partners."
"[The review] indicated that the golden-cheeked warbler is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, but is instead in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future throughout its range," the release reads.
"Collaborative long-term efforts to protect the species, its breeding habitat and migratory range have improved the golden-cheeked warbler’s path to recovery, and these efforts will continue regardless of federal listing status," the Fish and Wildlife release reads.
The 200-page report comes after a federal court judge ruled in September 2024 that the agency failed to meet the statutory standard for its review of the species' status under the Endangered Species Act.
The report doesn't change the warbler's 34-year-old endangered designation. If the U.S. Interior Secretary decides to start that process, there will be a public comment period prior to the change.
Even still, the golden-cheeked warbler would still receive some protections from its "threatened" designation. Those include a prohibition on killing, harming or capturing the birds.
KXAN reached out to Texas Public Policy Foundation senior attorney Ted Hadzi-Antich, who previously spoke with KXAN about the court case, for his reaction to the report.
"The down-listing is a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t go far enough," he said. "As we argued in our case filed in federal court, it is time to delist the Warbler species because the species is thriving."
Defense attorneys involved with the case issued a Tuesday press release, in which they said that they will continue to fight for the warbler.
“We are dismayed at the service’s decision to downlist the warbler against a grim backdrop of threats from habitat destruction and climate change throughout the warbler’s range, but we are looking ahead to fighting for continued protections for Texas’ most iconic song bird,” said Save Our Springs Alliance staff attorney Victoria Rose.
Earthjustice attorney Sharmeen Morrison said that the report's recommendation may harm the species' prospects.
“This decision is out of step with the best available science and may worsen conditions for the golden-cheeked warbler,” Morrison said. “The warbler lost almost a third of its habitat over a recent 10-year period, and the service’s decision could open the door to even more habitat loss due to development."
