Overview

Partners in Flight (PIF), created in 1990, is a voluntary landbird conservation initiative whose mission is keeping common birds common and helping species at risk. PIF’s strategic goals—to maintain healthy landbird populations, keep species from becoming threatened or endangered, promote full annual cycle conservation of migratory birds, and promote the value of birds as indicators of environmental health and human well‑being—remain as relevant today as they were 35 years ago.

PIF’s current direction is guided by the PIF Landbird Conservation Plan, 2016 Revision for Canada and the Continental United States. A priority is strengthening connections between PIF, the PIF Shorebird–Waterbird Subcommittee, State Flyways, and Habitat Joint Ventures to advance coordinated bird and habitat strategies.

PIF Committees and Working Groups: 2026 Progress and Priorities

Steering Committee

Coordinators: Elizabeth Neipert (DoW AKN), Becky Stewart (Canadian Wildlife Service)

• Adopted a Terms of Reference to bolster decision‑making effectiveness, enhance transparency, clarify goals, and facilitate engagement of new partners.
• Formed a Budget Subcommittee to streamline documentation of PIF expenses, support new funding sources, and ensure recognition of existing funders.
• Communications and Engagement subcommittees are improving information about getting involved in PIF, updating the PIF website, developing outreach products for different audiences, and meeting with partners to gather input.

International Science Committee

Co‑chairs: Sarah Kendrick (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Alaine Camfield (Canadian Wildlife Service)

• A peer‑reviewed special feature of nine articles on PIF Science conservation tools is in progress at Avian Conservation and Ecology for publication in 2026. Topics include:
  • History and next steps of PIF Science (published; Kendrick et al. 2026)
  • Avian Conservation Assessment Database (ACAD) methods and results
  • Cluster analysis identifying gaps in full annual cycle studies
  • Trend analysis of populations since the 2016 PIF Landbird Plan
  • Empowering all voices in Neotropical ornithology
• Developing outreach tools to help partners better understand and use the ACAD, which includes status assessments for more than 1,600 North American bird species. ACAD distills complex biological data from large‑scale surveys such as eBird and the Breeding Bird Survey into numerical vulnerability scores that guide conservation priorities across spatial scales and jurisdictions.

Western Working Group

Coordinator: Adam Brewerton (Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife Resources)

• Spring meeting: Salt Lake City, Utah, April 20–24, including a Road to Recovery Western Working Group Workshop to strengthen collaboration and recovery planning.

Conservation Without Borders

• Hosted a PIF symposium at the 2025 XXII Congress for the Study and Conservation of Birds in Mexico (Baja California), including a roundtable on careers in bird research and conservation and a symposium on PIF tools and Joint Ventures working internationally.
• Ongoing engagement with CIPAMEX led to an invitation to organize a two‑hour PIF symposium at the 2026 International Ornithological Congress.

Species Working Groups:

• 1. Desert Thrasher Working Group: integrating thrasher protocols into the AKN; partners conducting surveys in AZ and NM; movement studies underway in AZ and NV.
  2. Pinyon Jay Working Groups: Several state/regional Pinyon Jay Working Groups are active and have collaborated to adopt a standardized protocol for clearance surveys and to finalize the steps necessary to upload data into AKN. Additionally, members are working in an interagency team to draft a Rangewide Conservation Agreement and Strategy (CAS).

Eastern Working Group

Coordinator: Randy Dettmers

• Collaborating with Road to Recovery on an Eastern workshop focused on strengthening collaboration and conservation planning for Watch List species, with emphasis on eastern forest birds. The workshop will also explore improving migratory stopover conservation in eastern North America.
  • Hybrid workshop: April 14–15, 2026, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
• The EWG Science Delivery Team is developing a database of standardized management guidelines for grassland, forest, and wetland birds to help practitioners select effective habitat conservation strategies.
• Developing an Eastern Grassland Bird Conservation Business Plan:
  • Population and habitat objectives drafted
  • Threats and conservation strategies compiled
  • GIS exercise underway to refine focal areas
  • Outreach plan for the Northeast Region in development
• Annual meeting: August 3, 2026, at the American Ornithological Union conference (University of Massachusetts, Amherst). Topics include the Science Delivery Team project, full annual cycle conservation, and reducing bird collisions with buildings and towers.

Industry Working Group

Chair: Angela Larsen‑Gray (National Council for Air and Stream Improvement)

• Working group revitalized; first virtual meeting held to introduce PIF, learn about members, and identify next steps.
• Quarterly virtual meetings planned, each focused on a specific topic.
• Upcoming topics include eDNA research, the Wildlife Conservation Initiative (WCI), and opportunities for collaboration and engagement.
• Exploring additional entities that may be interested in joining the working group.

Awards Committee

Chair: Carol Beidleman (Environment for the Americas)

• Recognizing exceptional group and individual contributions to landbird conservation in the Americas since 1996.
• Award categories: Leadership, Investigations, Public Awareness, Stewardship, and the David N. Pashley Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Awards program suspended for the 2025 cycle due to loss of funding; if funding is secured, the 2026 call for nominations will open in November 2026.
• Past awardees: partnersinflight.org/award-winners

World Migratory Bird Day

Contact: Susan Bonfield (Environment for the Americas)

• PIF’s flagship awareness‑raising program, now in its 33rd year, is a call to action for the protection of shared migratory birds.
• 2026 Theme: Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter!
  Community science—including backyard bird counts and large‑scale surveys—provides essential information on species distribution, abundance trends, migration timing, and breeding success. These data help identify conservation priorities and inform strategies.
• Events take place during the second week of May and October, with flexibility for local timing. Celebrated across the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Educational and promotional materials are available in multiple languages.
• More information: www.migratorybirdday.org

PIF Contact

For more information, contact:

• PIF U.S. Coordinator: Elizabeth (Liz) Neipert – ESNeipert@gmail.com
• PIF Canada Coordinator: Becky Stewart – Becky.Stewart@ec.gc.ca

 

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