Bird Conservation Initiative
Conservation Objective
Through its Bird Conservation Initiative, the Foundation and its
partners seek to stabilize and increase declining (but still common)
populations of select bird species or suites of species and accelerate
recovery of imperiled species.
Strategy and Funding Priorities
The Foundation seeks to make a significant impact on bird
conservation by focusing on five key issues:
- Demonstrating that implementation of actions within existing
conservation strategies will have a positive impact on bird
populations;
- Evaluating which species conservation plans are succeeding, and
why;
- Stimulating development of effective plans for those species for
which no strategy is available, and revising those that need
improvement;
- Building international capacity for conservation along migratory
paths; and
- Accelerating the recovery of imperiled species, particularly those
designated as candidate, threatened or endangered at the federal
level.
A subset of 10-15 declining or imperiled species or suites of species
will be targeted for focused investments. The preliminary list of
priority species includes, but is not limited to:
- black-capped vireo & golden cheeked warbler
- northern bobwhite quail
- California condor
- red cockaded woodpecker
- cerulean warbler
- sage grouse (greater and Gunnison)
- golden winged warbler
- shorebirds
- lesser prairie chicken
- whooping crane
This list of species will be modified over time as the Foundation and
its partners continue to refine the priorities for the Bird Conservation
Initiative. The goal for these species will be to achieve published
population conservation objectives.
Measuring Outcomes
As part of the Foundation's Bird Conservation Initiative, we will be
working with our partners and grantees to measure the outcomes of our
investments in trying to achieve the overall objective for bird
conservation. Specific outcomes include:
- Tracking population changes in species where on-the-ground
conservation actions are underway.
- Assessing intermediary measures such as changes in quality and
quantity of habitat for target species.
- Identifying key metrics for successful bird species conservation
plans.
- Completing conservation plans for all U.S. species.
- Increasing the capacity for Western Hemisphere organizations to
address bird conservation issues, including self-sufficiency as well as
changes in the scale and scope of efforts.
- Comparing the relative efficacy of targeting single species versus
suites of multiple species, as well as the efficacy of targeting
declining (but still common) versus federally listed or candidate bird
species.
Grant Size and Match
Grants generally range from $50,000-$300,000. A minimum of 1:1
non-federal match is required; however, most competitive projects have
at least 2:1 in non-federal match.
