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Current Status:

Loss of habitat to urbanization and other land uses, and nest parasitism by the brownheaded cowbird, continue to pose threats to the blackcapped vireo in Texas.

Achievements:

Cowbird control seems responsible for increased vireo nesting success in two populations, one at Fort Hood Military Reservation and one at Kerr Wildlife Management Area. Formal section 7 consultations have been completed for a variety of projects; all resulted in no-jeopardy biological opinions and all reasonable and prudent measures recommended were accepted. The Black-capped Vireo Recovery Plan also has been completed. As a result, the Fish and Wildlife Service is working with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Soil Conservation Service, and others to formulate conservation management guidelines for private landowners. In addition, Travis County, the city of Austin, The Nature Conservancy, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Audubon Society (Travis County Chapter and the Regional Office in Austin), and others are cooperating with the Fish and Wildlife Service on a Habitat Conservation Plan for the vireo and six other species in the Austin area. A bond election approved $22 million for the purchase of Resolution Trust Corporation lands to preserve habitat for these species. Also, the Fish and Wildlife Service is purchasing land for the Balcones Canyonland National Wildlife Refuge, which will protect habitat for the vireo and other rare species.

Current Recovery Needs:

Actions necessary to recover the species include cowbird control, continued monitoring of vireo populations, and habitat restoration and management. Research needs include examining the biology/ecology of vireos on their wintering grounds, determining the effects of nest predators on reproductive success, and defining habitat requirements.

Section 6 Funding and Activities:

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department received $30,000 in FY 1992 for vireo surveys and management, including cowbird control, on State lands.

Partnerships

Department of Defense: For 6 years, the Department of Defense has been involved in black-capped vireo activities. Fort Hood Military Reservation and Camp Bullis have been monitoring vireo populations. Fort Hood also is conducting a banding project, controlling cowbirds, and experimenting with cattle removal from selected areas to determine the impacts on nesting success.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: The Department is conducting vireo surveys and management, including cowbird control, on State lands.

The Nature Conservancy: This organization is developing the Hill Country Bioreserve, which includes part of the vireo's range.

Recovery Plan Status:

Plan approved 9/30/91.