Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) © Mark Herse
Partners in Flight represents a voluntary network of committed individuals, organizations, agencies, industries and others working together for range-wide bird conservation.
“Birds and their habitats face unprecedented threats…from climate change, poorly planned urban growth, unsustainable agriculture and forestry, and a widespread decline in habitat quantity and quality. The spectacle of bird migration is being diminished by direct mortality as every year millions birds die from anthropogenic sources. As documented in this Plan, nearly 20% of U.S. and Canadian landbird species are on a path towards endangerment and extinction in the absence of conservation action. We know, however, that when we use the best science to develop conservation plans—and implement them—we can make a difference. Our diverse partners have achieved major milestones for bird conservation, including creation of “wall-to-wall” Joint Ventures with implementation plans all across the U.S. and southern Canada, Wildlife Action Plans in all 50 U.S. states, Bird Conservation Region strategies for all of Canada, and the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act – a valuable tool for funding landbird conservation. Since its inception in 1990, Partners in Flight has remained focused on its mission to keep common birds common and help species at risk through voluntary partnerships. But to expand our successes and achieve this end, these partnerships need renewed investment for implementation. Our conservation vision and successes draw upon the passion of millions of people who enjoy watching and studying wild birds, and who contribute a wealth of data about North American landbirds.”
— From the Foreword of the 2016 Partners in Flight Lanbird Conservation Plan
Sue Milburn-Hapwood, Assistant Deputy Minister, Canadian Wildlife Service
and Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Partners in Flight is only as strong as our network and our network equals our capacity to affect change.
We believe that our efforts result in more than the sum of all our contributions – together we are stronger, smarter and more effective to halt or reverse bird population trends.
The Partners in Flight network has been kept alive by many partners over time, including several federal agencies, state agencies, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, several non-governmental organizations, industry and private foundations. These partners provide not just funding for special projects and ongoing partnership needs, but capacity, resources and expertise that goes well beyond cash.
To all these partners, we thank you and look forward to a continued relationship for improving bird conservation while serving wildlife management and forestry needs as well as the desires of society to keep common birds common. Together, we can have more birds and keep those that are declining from becoming crisis management.
Please spend some time on our web page, consider a place where you or your organization can fit in with contributions, financial or otherwise, and contact one of the many individuals listed in these pages.
Funding Needs
There are a number of ways to get in the game and financially support PIF initiatives. See sidebar in the upper right for specific programs.