An international alliance that works to keep common birds common and help species at risk through voluntary partnerships.
The Partners in Flight International Science Committee meets semi-annually to address cutting-edge science needs most relevant to hemispheric-level bird conservation. In December 2016 we met in Port Aransas, TX. Photo by Becky Keller
The PIF International Science Committee is an open forum of scientists from universities, NGOs, and agencies in the U.S, Canada, and Mexico dedicated to advancing scientific concepts and approaches for landbird conservation at range-wide and regional scales. The PIF Science Committee develops and maintains all aspects of the PIF Species Conservation Assessment and Population Estimates Databases (updated in 2019!), and is responsible for the writing and updating of all continental and regional PIF Bird Conservation Plans, as well as Handbooks for the PIF Databases and other technical documents (see Key Resources list at right).
The Science Committee is open to anyone interested in thinking about landbird conservation issues across large spatial scales. We have 2-hour calls on the 2nd Thursday of every month, and usually have a 3-day in-person working meeting at least once a year. The Science Committee is currently recruiting new members, so please contact the Chairs if you are interested in participating. Current major topics of interest to the Science Committee include full annual-cycle bird conservation and population modeling, landscape conservation design, regional-level species assessment score revisions for the U.S. and Canada for both the breeding and nonbreeding seasons, and population estimation.
Current Science Committee Co-chairs:
Dr. Becky Keller, Science Coordinator, Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture, American Bird Conservancy
Dr. Alaine Camfield, Manager, Priority Places Initiative, Canadian Wildlife Service
A primary activity of the PIF Science Committee is maintaining and updating the Avian Species Conservation Assessment database, including tracking the taxonomy and conservation status of recently split species, such as this California Scrub-Jay. © Brian Sullivan © Brian Sullivan
Over 1,000 years ago, ancestral Polynesians set off in a boat in search of a place they thought existed. Historians believe that migrating birds guided them. During the day they could track a long-legged wading bird by sight, and by night they could follow their loud calls.
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All hummingbirds are metabolic marvels, but Rufous Hummingbirds take it to an extreme. The species has the longest migration of any hummingbird in the world. Relative to its body length, this bird- equal in weight to just a nickel– migrates farther than any bird species.
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David I. King, US Forest Service Northern Research Station, Amherst, MA 01002 In 2020, Partners in Flight celebrates its 30th Anniversary and is dedicating its “conservation news” to sharing stories of migratory connectivity and connections to celebrate 30 years of partnerships for bird conservation. We hope you enjoy. Like many North Americans, […]
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Deb Hahn, International Relations Director, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Migratory birds bring us great joy. They make spectacular migrations; bring beautiful songs and colors into our yards, parks, and wild places; and play important roles in the health of our world. In these unprecedented and uncertain times, the return of birds during spring […]
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Stu Mackenzie, Director of Migration Ecology, Birds Canada The protection of birds and the places they need requires a complete understanding of how they use and move through landscapes throughout the year. The science of avian migration is key to gaining this understanding. Migration research can tell us where to invest our limited time, resources […]
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