North America

We know most birds aren’t using just one habitat throughout their full annual cycle. Many species, and migratory birds in particular, rely on a variety of habitats at different times of the year. We focus our efforts in BirdScapes, to ensure priority species have the high-quality, connected habitat they need, no matter where they go, no matter how briefly. BirdScapes are areas ranging from 150,000 to 2.5 million acres, shaped by unique regional conditions, where smart land use can benefit both birds and people. Dozens of BirdScapes connect our North American programs to our international work, providing scalable conservation interventions across birds’ full life cycles.

From the misty temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, to the endemic-rich coastal chaparral and desert Sky Island mountain ranges, to the vast grasslands of the Chihuahuan Desert, ABC’s Western Region covers a broad range of habitats, species, and conservation concerns and brings together a wide range of partners. Our work in the Western Region conserves species like the Endangered Marbled Murrelet, a small seabird that nests in the towering old-growth forests of the Northwest; the beach-nesting California Least Tern, which shares its landscape with people and predators; and the riparian-dependent Least Bell’s Vireo and western Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and imperiled species that rely on our hottest, most arid habitats like Bendire’s and LeConte’s Thrashers. ABC supports two Migratory Bird Joint Ventures in the Western Region: the Rio Grande Joint Venture and the California Central Coast Joint Venture.

ABC’s Central Region stretches across the Great Plains, encompassing millions of acres of grasslands. Working with the public, private partners, conservation organizations, and state and federal agencies, the Central Region works to restore and enhance habitat for iconic species like the Northern Bobwhite, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and Eastern Meadowlark, which have seen available habitat shrink dramatically as grasslands are converted for agriculture and development. The Central Region, which includes the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture, works directly with landowners to steward their properties for biodiversity.

The Great Lakes region hosts more than 300 species of migratory and resident birds, making it among the most important areas for North America’s birds. A mosaic of diverse, interconnected habitats — sprawling pine and oak forests, nearshore wetlands, prairie remnants, and urban greenways — serve as breeding grounds, migration stopover sites, and refuges year-round. Collaborating with local communities, Tribes, nonprofits, landowners, and state and federal agencies, ABC’s Great Lakes team restores and protects critically important habitats for Golden-winged Warblers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, American Woodcocks, and Kirtland’s Warblers, among many other species.

From the sandy beaches and saltwater marshes of the coast to the southernmost reaches of the Appalachian Mountains, the southeastern United States is a vast and varied landscape. ABC’s Southeast Region team collaborates across state boundaries with dozens of partners to address the threats birds are facing. Our work spans sustainable forestry practices for Swallow-tailed Kite habitat, reducing plastic pollution for beach-nesting birds, restoring natural processes to longleaf pine stands through prescribed burns, and many more actions to benefit species and habitats of conservation concern. ABC’s Southeast Region hosts the Central Hardwoods Joint Venture and Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture, and also supports the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture, Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture, East Gulf Coast Plain Joint Venture, and Gulf Coast Joint Venture.

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System (motus is the Latin word for “movement”) is an international, collaborative research network that makes it possible to chart the movements of wildlife in near-real time, using more than 2,000 receiver stations that pick up the “pings” from an animal tagged with a transmitter when it’s nearby.