State of North America's Birds

State of North America's Birds
Name	State of North America's Birds
Year	2024
Authors	Bird Conservation Alliance
Publisher	North American Bird Conservation Initiative

Contents

State of North America's Birds

The State of North America's Birds is a comprehensive synthesis assessing trends, threats, and conservation status for avifauna across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It integrates long-term datasets from organizations such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey, Partners in Flight, the Audubon Society, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to inform policy discussions in venues including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, and the Migratory Bird Treaty. The report supports planning by agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales.

Overview

The report synthesizes continent-wide information on species status, population trajectories, and habitat condition drawing on regional programs such as Partners in Flight, national programs like the Canadian Breeding Bird Survey, and international efforts exemplified by the Ramsar Convention and the Convention on Migratory Species. It frames findings within legal instruments including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, frameworks such as the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, and assessments from scientific bodies like the National Academy of Sciences and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Stakeholders range from NGOs including BirdLife International and The Nature Conservancy to academic institutions such as University of British Columbia, Cornell University, and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Across datasets from the Breeding Bird Survey, Christmas Bird Count, and the eBird citizen science platform, the report documents divergent trends: declines in many aerial insectivores (e.g., Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow), grassland specialists monitored by Grassland Bird Conservation, and wetland-dependent species tracked under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, contrasting with increases in some generalist species monitored by Audubon Society chapters and university researchers at institutions like University of Michigan and University of Alberta. Long-term analyses reference statistical approaches developed at centers such as the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and modeling platforms used by USGS and Environment and Climate Change Canada. The report highlights regional shifts documented in studies from Prairies Ecozone, Great Lakes Basin, and Sonoran Desert, and links demographic changes to historical events like the Dust Bowl and land-use transitions promoted by policies such as the North American Free Trade Agreement-era agriculture expansion.

The assessment identifies primary drivers including habitat conversion in Midwestern United States croplands and Mexican dry tropical forests; climate-driven range shifts noted in studies of the Boreal Forest, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and Sierra Madre Occidental; and direct human impacts such as collisions with infrastructure regulated by agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration and energy development overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. Invasive species documented by researchers at Smithsonian Institution and policy responses from Environment and Climate Change Canada exacerbate pressures, while pesticide use linked to agricultural practices in regions influenced by the Farm Bill and the North American Agricultural Agreement affects insectivores monitored by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Extreme weather events tied to Hurricane Katrina, California wildfires, and Arctic warming recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are discussed as acute drivers.

The report provides targeted assessments for taxa and habitats: shorebirds including species tracked under the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network; grassland birds surveyed by the National Audubon Society and regional partners; forest-dependent species in the Boreal Shield and Pacific Northwest ecosystems assessed with data from the US Forest Service; and waterfowl covered by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. It highlights case studies involving the Piping Plover, Whooping Crane, and Rusty Blackbird, and addresses conservation-reliant species highlighted by international agreements such as the Ramsar Convention and recovery plans from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad.

Recommended actions emphasize habitat protection through mechanisms like protected areas under the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission and incentive-based programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program and Mexican tools developed by the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales. Cross-border initiatives include collaborative frameworks established by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative and landscape-scale efforts modeled on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Prairie Pothole Joint Venture. Policy instruments cited include the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Endangered Species Act, and conservation funding streams administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and philanthropic partners like The Rockefeller Foundation and Pew Charitable Trusts.

The report integrates standardized monitoring from the Breeding Bird Survey, the Christmas Bird Count, and the eBird database, combining methods developed at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, analytical frameworks from the U.S. Geological Survey, and population modeling approaches used by the National Audubon Society and academic groups at University of California, Berkeley, McGill University, and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Remote sensing inputs from NASA and USGS Landsat complement field surveys coordinated by partners such as Bird Conservancy of the Rockies and the Canadian Wildlife Service. The synthesis emphasizes open data standards promoted by organizations like DataONE and capacity building through programs affiliated with BirdLife International and regional conservation NGOs.

Category:Ornithology reports