U.S. #5799p
2023 Attwater’s Prairie Chicken – Endangered Species

• Part of the Endangered Species set celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act
• Design pictures a photograph by Joel Sartore’s famous “Photo Ark” project

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Endangered Species
Value:  63¢, First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  May 19, 2023
First Day City:  Wall, South Dakota
Quantity Issued:  30,000,000
Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Offset, Flexographic
Format:  Panes of 20
Tagging:  Phosphor tagged paper

Why the stamp was issued:  To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act and the endangered Attwater’s prairie chicken.

About the stamp design:  Like the others in the set, the photograph on the stamp is from Joel Sartore’s famous “Photo Ark” project.  They are among over 13,000 the National Geographic photographer has taken in his quest to shoot photos of as many animal species as possible.

Special design details:  Stamp includes “Endangered” and the common name of the species.

First Day City:  First Day of Issue Ceremony was in Wall, South Dakota, at the National Grasslands Visitor Center.  The center encourages visitors to see the 20 National Grasslands and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.  These habitats are home to the black-footed ferret, one of the endangered species pictured in the set of stamps.

About the Endangered Species set:  The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28.  The legislation “protect[s] species and the ecosystems upon which they depend,” with a goal “to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost.”  The ESA is jointly administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service.

In 2023, the US Postal Service celebrated the 50th anniversary of the ESA with a set of 20 Forever stamps.  The stamps were issued on Endangered Species Day, which lands on the third Friday in May.  Each design pictures a different endangered species, representing only a small handful of the over 1,300 plants and animals protected under the ESA as of 2023.  The images used for the stamps were part of Joel Sartore’s “Photo Ark.”  Partnering with National Geographic, he set out to capture 20,000 species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries around the world.  Together, they are determined to intimately picture each species in order to educate and bring awareness to their preservation.  Sartore calls his work as a photographer a “mission to document endangered species and landscapes in order to show a world worth saving.”

Thanks to the ESA, many plant and animal species that were once endangered have made a comeback.  With the continued effort of conservationists, volunteers, and increased awareness, even more species can make their way back from the brink of extinction one day.

History the stamp represents:  The Attwater’s prairie chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) is a critically endangered subspecies of greater prairie chicken.  It was originally found in coastal Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico, but today is only found in Texas.  There were once over one million Attwater’s prairie chickens in these regions, but beginning in the early 1900s, populations began to decline.  This was mainly due to habitat loss brought on by invasive species (especially the Chinese tallow tree) and urbanization.  Both resulted in the loss of many acres of native grasslands the Attwater’s prairie chicken depends on for survival.

Attwater’s prairie chickens are known for the unusual bright orange-gold air sacs on either side of the male bird’s neck.  These sacs inflate during mating displays and make a distinct “woo-woo” sound.  These displays have inspired several North American Plains Indian traditional dances.

By 2014, just 100 Attwater’s prairie chickens were left in the wild.  Additionally, there were around 150 more in captivity.  These individuals are part of breeding programs at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Abilene Zoo, Caldwell Zoo, and at Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (in partnership with Houston Zoo).  It is an uphill battle against flooding and dangerous weather, but one conservationists are dedicated to winning.