In further response to the declining numbers of the Tricolored Blackbird, the Center for Biological Diversity this week formally petitioned the Dept. of Interior to protect the species under the Endangered Species Act. The action comes in response to surveys last year that showed the already struggling population has declined as much as 44 percent since 2011. The California Fish and Game Commission in December issued an emergency listing under the state's Endangered Species Act, and is expected to take up discussion around a formal listing in the spring. Audubon California supported the state action as part of its longstanding efforts to recover this precarious species. In January, at the urging of Audubon California and other partners, the Natural Resources Conservation Service issued a $1.1 million grant to support a partnership including Audubon California, the dairy industry, and federal agencies to support Tricolored Blackbird conservation. (photo by Teddy Llovet)