CNDDB News Blog

Campanula shetleri – Castle Crags harebell
Submitted by Steve Matson

This California endemic was found by Steve Matson in Siskiyou County. Campanula shetleri was originally listed in 1974 and was considered to occur in small numbers or in restricted populations. It is currently ranked as 1B.3 (rare or endangered in California and everywhere else, but not very endangered in California) in the California Rare Plant Ranking system. It is found in rock crevices in Lower montane coniferous forests within the Klamath Ranges. It blooms from June through September bringing some color into the late summer. The flower can range in color from a pale blue to completely white, with the one pictured here falling on the blue end of the scale. Thank you, Steve, for sharing this amazing find, and everything you do to protect our California rare plants!

Anaxyrus canorus – Yosemite toad
Submitted by Noah Morales

Noah came upon a large group of Yosemite toads and was able to catch this one relaxing in a grassy area near Sardine Meadow in Mono county. Yosemite toads are one of four true toad species the CNDDB tracks. They are endemic to California and reside in high elevations throughout the Sierra Nevada in forest borders and moist mountain meadows. The Yosemite toad takes on the classic toad appearance with its stocky body and warty skin. They are slow moving with motions limited to crawls and short hops. Because of this less than ideal movement efficiency, Yosemite toads secrete poison from their parotoid glands and warts to defend themselves! These toads have faced many factors contributing to their decline such as habitat degradation, invasive fishes, drought, and disease. Studies show Yosemite toads are no longer present in about half of their native range and populations are declining. In 2016, the USFWS designated almost 1.8 million acres of protected critical habitat for the Yosemite toad and other high elevation amphibians in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Currently, the CNDDB has 223 mapped occurrences for Yosemite toad spanning through the Sierra Nevada. A big thank you to Noah for snapping a photo of this tiny, but mighty species!

Do you have some great photos of rare plants or wildlife detections? Submit them along with your findings through our Online Field Survey Form and see if your photos get showcased!

June 20 marks the day in American history when the bald eagle was designated as the nation’s symbol. In 1782, the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was selected as the country’s emblem because of its regal appearance and vigor.

The bald eagle has persisted through many hardships, much like the United States. The success of the bald eagle’s recovery is one of the most famous cases of conservation management. In 1940, the bald eagle was granted federal protection under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. For several decades later, it would be protected under more federal acts bringing its importance to the forefront of natural resource preservation. DDT, a synthetic pesticide known to thin eggshells and in turn kill bird embryos, was banned from use in the United States. The following year, the Endangered Species Act was passed and included the bald eagle as an endangered species. Around this time, the bald eagle population in the lower 48 states consisted of a shockingly low 417 breeding pairs. From then to the turn of the century, recovery plans for the bald eagle were put into place. In 2007, only 13 years ago, the bald eagle was removed from the Threatened and Endangered Species List due to the increase and stability of populations. At the time of delisting, survey data showed that the population had grown significantly to 9,789 breeding pairs.

The success and persistence of the bald eagle’s recovery parallels closely to the trials and tribulations of the United States. Even though the fight is far from over, we can take a step back and appreciate the hope these birds symbolize. During these trying times, we can all be inspired by the strength, perseverance, and success of the bald eagle.

To celebrate American Eagle Day, take a moment to learn more about the bald eagle. Have you seen one of these majestic birds in public? If you have been fortunate enough, make sure to report your observation through the Online Field Survey Form!

Now available: the public Barred Owl Observations by PLSS Section (ds2873) data layer! It is available to view and to download in the BIOS Viewer.

This layer summarizes the information contained in the Barred Owl Observations Database and allows users to see PLSS sections containing barred owl detections as well as the first and last years owls were reported in those sections.

Due to the varied nature of barred owl surveys, detections, and reporting in the state, this dataset may not fully represent the historical and current distribution of barred owls in California.

For more information on barred owls in California, check out CDFW’s Barred Owl Threat web page.