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Which CA birds get left out if federal Endangered Species Act disappears?

If the federal Endangered Species Act is weakened or removed, several bird species in California will lack specific protections.

California Gnatcatcher at UCI Preserve Photo: Sandrine Biziaux Scherson Photography

California is one of the few states that has its own endangered species law, which means that the state's most sensitive birds have the potential for an addition layer of legal protection. With talk of weakening or eliminating the Endangered Species Act filtering through Congress, we took a look at which California birds could find themselves left out. We were able to identify five species that would lose endangered species protections if the federal Endangered Species Act is rolled back. Here they are:

  • Short-tailed Albatross
  • Coastal California Gnatcatcher
  • Western Snowy Plover
  • San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike
  • San Clemente Sage Sparrow


It is important to note that, in the event of the loss of the federal Endangered Species Act, these birds would still enjoy a number of protections, such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

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