Over the past two decades, the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) population has plummeted from more than 1,000 birds in the wild to less than 100, making it the most endangered bird in the continental United States. A turnaround may be in their future: The 1,000th captive-bred sparrow has just been released back into the wild.

Before 2012, these unique birds were restricted to a few conservation areas and private ranches near the Kissimmee River. Federal and state agencies,  universities, breeding facilities, and nonprofit organizations like Audubon responded by improving management activities, increasing research devoted to the sparrows, and starting a captive breeding program.

At long last, the captive breeding program has been successful enough that Audubon and partners celebrated the release of the 1,000th Florida Grasshopper Sparrow on July 16 at Avon Park Air Force Range.

“This is a hard-won milestone in Florida Grasshopper Sparrow conservation, and indeed in dry prairie conservation,” says Paul Gray, PhD, Everglades science coordinator for Audubon Florida. “I am immensely proud of our diverse team who, through thick and thin, have worked together to get here.”

Audubon staff have been crucial team members throughout the reintroduction process, providing technical support to the agencies, funding field technicians, and securing funds to maintain captive breeding activities. The recently released juveniles give us hope that we can recover this wonderful endemic Florida bird and pave the way for further support of this critical program.