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<br />001974 <br /> <br />Western yellow-billed cuckoos formerly ranged across southern Canada (British Columbia), <br />northern Mexico (Sonora and Chihuahua) and all states west of the Continental Divide/eastern <br />Rio Grande Basin, The eastern boundary of the western yellow-billed cuckoo, as defined by the <br />USFWS (2000d), is the crest of the Continental Divide in Montana, Wyoming, and northern and <br />central Colorado. In southern Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, the crests of mountain ranges <br />forming the eastern edge of the Rio Grande watershed define the eastern boundary of the species. <br /> <br />Though limited interactions may possibly occur between eastern and western yellow-billed <br />cuckoos across the Rocky Mountains in the northern part of the range, the probability is limited <br />because cuckoos do not nest at high elevations, and the species is sCarce on .both the eastern and <br />western slopes of the Rockies. At the southern extent of its range inTexas, mixing of eastern and <br />western cuckoos is more likely as geographic barriers are not as pronollJ:lced. <br /> <br />The currently breeding range is much smaller than the historic rapge. As abreeding species, the <br />cuckoo was extirpated from British Columbia in the 1920's, Washington Sta'tein the 1930's, and <br />Oregon in the 1940's. Three populations totaling about 40 pairs of birds remain inCalifomia on <br />the Sacramento River (between Colusa and Red Bhiff),the South-Fork of the KemRiver, and the <br />lower Colorado River. About 400 pairs probably inhabift;ivers,thr()ughout Arizona and New <br />Mexico. Another several hundred remain in western Texas,' The cuckoo is extreme rare in the <br />rest of the interior west, with a total population that may not exceed 50 pairs. There may be <br />, several hundred birds in northern Mexico;bllt reports are conflicting. <br /> <br />The yellow-billed cuckoo is an obligate, riparian speci~stl1at prefers dense, mature stands of <br />cottonwoods and other large riparian associated trees. . Habita.tc~oss, overgrazing, tamarisk <br />invasion of riparian areas,riverluWlagement, logging, and pesticides have been implicated as <br />causes of decline. No ,studies ha.vt),~een conducted to determine whether adequate riparian <br />vegetation suitable ,~o"suI>port the Y~llow-billed CuckoQ exists within the Mancos Project. <br />Surveys of portions of tl1eSan. Ju<w-~vein the late 1990's indicated that the birds are present in <br />. small numbers dllripg migrati()nandthettSis~ome evidence of breeding (Johnson and Obrien, <br />1998). H()~.evd\4ll,~~e"is littleJ.ijs~lihood tha.t'continuation of these irrigation practices through <br />implemeI1fation of the";pr()pqsed 2fu-rlage contracts would have an effect upon usable habitat. <br />, -.. . <br /> <br />Rec1amatiO)1believes that iniplementation of the proposed contracts will have no affect upon the <br />~. . . - -,. '''~ <br />Y ellow-bille<lC;:\lckoo or upon. critical habitat for the species. <br /> <br />3.6.2.3.4 Sleeping!1te milk:-vetch <br /> <br />The Sleeping Ute milk..vdch is a candidate species proposed within Federal Register: October <br />25, 1999 (Volume 64; Number 205)] . Little is known of this species, it is found in isolated <br />desert-like conditions within southeastern Montezuma County Colorado in similar habitat to <br />other milk-vetch plants. <br /> <br />Reclamation believes that the proposed water carriage contracts will have no effect upon this <br />plant or its associated habitat. <br /> <br />23 <br />