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PIF Website Contact |
Bird Conservation Planning InformationOne of the primary activities being conducted by Partners in Flight - U.S. is the development of bird conservation plans for the entire continental United States. This is coordinated by the PIF Regional Coordinators and the PIF Regional Working Groups. Click here for a map of PIF Organizational Regions The Flight PlanThe guiding principles for PIF bird conservation planning can be found in the Partners in Flight bird conservation strategy, The Flight Plan. It is composed of four parts:
Physiographic AreasThe spatial unit chosen by Partners in Flight for planning purposes is the physiographic area. There are 58 physiographic areas wholly or partially contained within the contiguous United States and several others wholly or partially in Alaska. Partners in Flight bird conservation plans in the West use state boundaries as their first sorting unit for planning, with each plan internally arranged by physiographic area or habitat type.
Integrated Bird ConservationA common spatial language can greatly enhance the potential for communication among conservation initiatives. Under the auspices of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI), Partners in Flight worked with the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, the Unites States Shorebird Conservation Plan, and the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, as well as with counterparts in Mexico and Canada, to develop a standard map of planning regions to be shared by all initiatives. These Bird Conservation Regions are intended to serve as planning, implementation, and evaluation units for integrated bird conservation for the entire continent. Future revisions of PIF Bird Conservation Plans will begin to utilize Bird Conservation Regions as the planning units, facilitating integration with planning efforts of the other initiatives. Species AssessmentAn important component in The PIF Flight Plan is the identification of priority species. PIF recognized that existing means of setting conservation priorities did not capture the complexities and needs of birds. The PIF Species Assessment process uses the best of traditional methods modified by our knowledge of bird biology to create a scientifically credible means of prioritizing birds and their habitat. It is a dynamic method that uses several criteria to rank a species’ vulnerability. Numerical scores are given for each criterion, with higher scores reflecting higher vulnerability. The most vulnerable species are those with declining population trends, limited geographic ranges, and/or deteriorating habitats. An article has been recently published in The Auk (download the Auk article) about the PIF Species Assessment Process. Citation: A national PIF Species Assessment Database is maintained by the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, into which improvements are regularly incorporated. PIF Watch ListThe Partners in Flight Watch List was developed using the Species Assessment to highlight those birds of the continental United States, not already listed under the Endangered Species Act, that most warrant conservation attention. There is no single reason why all of these birds are on the list. Some are relatively common but undergoing steep population declines; others are rare but actually increasing in numbers. The Watch List is not intended to drive local conservation agendas, which should be based on priorities identified within each physiographic area. Species Account ResourcesSpecies accounts that synthesize scientific literature on the life histories and effects of management practices on particular bird species are available from a variety of sources. The PIF Species Account Resources Table provides electronic links to these accounts where they are available, and instructions on how to order them if links are not available. Bird Conservation Plans Summary DocumentThe development of Bird Conservation Plans is a complicated process. More detailed information about the PIF Bird Conservation Planning Process and PIF Bird Conservation Plans is provided in the recent PIF publication - Partners in Flight: Conservation of the Land Birds of the United States. Citation:
Get Involved!If you are interested in becoming involved in bird conservation activities, contact the PIF Regional Coordinator or the PIF Regional Working Group Chair in your region for information.
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