“This breakthrough is great news because the Florida grasshopper sparrow couldn’t be more vulnerable,” said Sneckenberger. 90.7's environmental reporter Amy Green joined Juan Oteyza and Becky Schneider of the Florida … Captive breeding of the extremely rare Florida grasshopper sparrow is risky, biologists say. The captive breeding program began in 2015 and is just one part of a strategic plan to guide management of this endangered bird. “We can prevent extinctions, buy time to develop recovery options, and discover fresh solutions to problems. This is a vital part of a comprehensive species-recovery program.” This week, we acted on one priority by sending a letter to the U.S. During the breeding season, Florida grasshopper sparrows are isolated from the eastern subspecies in Georgia by more than 300 miles. The bird has been listed as endangered since 1986 and has suffered steep declines in its population since then. During the breeding season, Florida grasshopper sparrows are isolated from the eastern subspecies in Georgia by more than 300 miles. Illustration of the Florida grasshopper sparrow. The plan also includes habitat management, nest protection, research, monitoring, and more captive breeding and release of birds. The program has been so successful that sparrows had to be released this spring to make room for the next generation of offspring. That brought the need for this captive-breeding program into … Central Florida's endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow numbers in the dozens and is unlikely to survive in the wild. “We can prevent extinctions, buy time to develop recovery options, and discover fresh solutions to problems. I flew to Florida to report on the race to gather enough wild sparrows to give the captive-breeding program the greatest possible chance of success. Now to boost their population researchers for the first time are releasing captive-bred sparrows in the wild. The bird has been listed as endangered since 1986 and has suffered steep declines in its population since then. Conservation history was made May 9, when the first captive-bred Florida Grasshopper Sparrow chicks hatched at the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation (RSCF) in Loxahatchee, Florida — a major breakthrough for one of North America’s most endangered birds. “Captive breeding is never anyone’s desire, and it’s always the approach of last resort,” he says. “The first captive Florida Grasshopper Sparrow breeding illuminates why captive breeding can be an essential conservation tool,” Reillo said. The song of the Florida grasshopper sparrow sounds much like that of a grasshopper, which is where it gets its name. Audubon reported earlier that the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow population is in serious trouble. Captive breeding efforts were started in 2014 with FWS funding, but nobody had bred Florida Grasshopper Sparrows in captivity before, so species-specific techniques are being worked out. ... with a breeding … Wildlife managers plan to release as many as 40 Florida grasshopper sparrows on the Central Florida prairie in the coming weeks. Florida grasshopper sparrow and chicks Conservation history was made May 9 when the first captive-bred Florida grasshopper sparrow chicks hatched at the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation (RSCF) in Loxahatchee, Fla.--a major breakthrough for one of North America’s most endangered birds. This is a vital part of a comprehensive species-recovery program.” Only one subspecies, the Florida grasshopper sparrow (A. s. floridanus) breeds in Florida. An endangered grasshopper sparrow sits amid grasses at White Oak, a 10,000-acre conservation preserve north of Jacksonville, one of two captive breeding programs started by the U.S. Foundation Increases Funding for Florida Grasshopper Sparrows. Central Florida's endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow numbers in the dozens and is unlikely to survive in the wild. Reillo says there’s just one option left to save the Florida grasshopper sparrow: the captive-breeding program that began in 2015. Another subspecies, the Eastern grasshopper sparrow (A. s. pratensis) can also be found across the state in the winter months. Their numbers have plummeted so rapidly in the last several years that scholars estimate the likelihood of the Florida grasshopper sparrow’s extinction in coming years at approximately 20 percent.