The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has reaffirmed the endangered status of the coastal California gnatcatcher, a bird whose habitat has prevented development on thousands of acres in Southern California.
The decision was in response to a 2014 petition from the developer-supported Pacific Legal Foundation to remove the bird from the endangered species list. The foundation cited a 2013 academic paper that argued the bird is not genetically distinct from the more numerous and not endangered black-tailed gnatcatcher.
The foundation’s challenge prompted a 12-month review by six independent scientists that involved detailed DNA analysis.
“Based upon the best available scientific information, the service determined the petitioned action is not warranted,” according to a statement released Tuesday by the Fish & Wildlife Service’s Carlsbad office.
The 4-inch bird lives in dense coastal sage scrub. There are only 2,900 in existence across Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
