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
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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Christine Bishop, Environment and Climate Change Canada le français suit In 2000, the western yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens auricollis) population in British Columbia (BC) was listed, under the Canadian Species At Risk Act, as Endangered. Its already restricted population had drastically declined due to the loss of over 85% of its key nesting habitat—wild rose […]
Read more »Becky Keller, Alaine Camfield, and Bob Ford The PIF International Science Committee is a volunteer partnership 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 […]
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Randy Dettmers (randy_dettmers@fws.gov), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Every fall, dozens of species of landbirds migrate from their summer breeding grounds in the United States and Canada to wintering grounds as far away as South America. The migration period is one of the most perilous stages in the life cycle for birds, and the widespread […]
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Krista De Groot, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada. After witnessing bird window collisions at offices of the Pacific Wildlife Research Centre in Delta, British Columbia, staff with the Canadian Wildlife Service were interested in collecting standardized data to better understand the extent of the issue. Following recommended protocols for collision monitoring, staff […]
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