Bird conservation

Bird conservation practices are increasingly necessary to address the impacts of human activities that have accelerated extinctions and continue to threaten bird populations worldwide.


Habitat loss and fragmentation, overexploitation, chemical toxins and pollution, as well as introduced diseases, predators, and competitors are some of the threats that need to be addressed to reverse bird declines and maintain healthy populations.


The main objectives of bird conservation are to

Identify population declines that signal underlying degradation of habitats and ecosystems
Identify the causes for these declines, and
Find biological solutions such as habitat preservation which can be used to repair the underlying causes of bird declines.
Programs and Research at the Lab
Links to our conservation projects and programs, plus a list of online BirdScope articles on conservation research and results.
How to Get Involved in Bird Conservation Efforts
Participate in our Citizen Science projects and help the Lab gather data to inform conservation guidelines for land managers. This section also includes more ways you can get involved: action you can take from home or in the field to help preserve habitats for birds and other living things.
Conservation Planning
Turning Science into Action: Outline of the conservation planning process, threats to native birds, species conservation assessment, and goals for the next decade.
Recent Extinctions and Endangered Species

Learn more about some of the remarkable species, recently extinct on mainland North America, that will stand forever as symbols of the need for bird conservation. Also, the work being done to protect endangered species, and move them into the success stories category.

Success Stories!
Examples of how real-world actions can begin to reverse population declines for endangered birds.
Protect Bird Habitat
Guidelines for protecting bird habitat in your backyard, as well as in grasslands, farmlands, and forested areas. Includes Tanager Management Guidelines created using data collected by citizen scientists.
Conservation Links
Learn more about leaders in bird conservation such as Partners in Flight, National Audubon, the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, and more.