Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Similarity of Appearance Explanation for the Northern Distinct Population Segment of the Southern Subspecies of Scarlet Macaw

In response to an order by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are opening a public comment period related to a specific issue regarding our listing determination under the Endangered Species Act (Act) for the northern distinct population segment (DPS) of the southern subspecies of the scarlet macaw (Ara macao macao). We seek comments on the explanation presented in this document regarding why we did not conduct an analysis under section 4(e) of the Act pertaining to the DPS.