American Bird Conservancy (ABC) was founded 30 years ago with a vision for bird conservation that would bring together diverse communities for a common purpose: conserving birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Our conservation framework is what has made our work matter for birds over the last three decades. Each year, we take bold action with this framework to prevent extinctions, reverse bird population declines, reduce threats, and build the bird conservation movement. 

And 2024 was no exception. We welcomed news of growing populations of the Endangered Gray-breasted Parakeet in Brazil, thanks to years of efforts by ABC partner Aquasis, positioning the colorful cavity nesters for a comeback. In North America, working with partners we reached a milestone in conserving grassland habitat for some of the continent's quickest-vanishing landbirds, like the Long-billed Curlew. We celebrated actions to reduce threats, including legislative wins to reduce the use of harmful pesticides, prevent window collisions, rein in free-roaming cats, and more. In addition, we took significant steps to nurture partnerships and welcome all to join the bird conservation community. 

When we conserve habitat for birds, it's not only birds that benefit. Entire ecosystems, people included, reap the rewards of conservation action, including cleaner water and air, healthier soil, more carbon sequestration, and enhanced climate resilience. At the foundation of all that we do are the people who, like us, find inspiration in the miracles of migration, feel a sense of awe when we watch the effortless arc of a hawk's flight, and see new hatchings of birds — whether endangered rarities or backyard dwellers — as beacons of hope. 

Read more about our efforts, successes, and growth during this milestone year for ABC. 

Preventing Bird Extinctions

For the most endangered birds, every acre we protect makes a difference. In 2024, ABC supported the protection of nearly 60,000 acres — equivalent to more than 60,000 football fields — of habitat in new and expanded protected areas, working with partners across the hemisphere. Cumulatively, we've protected more than 1.1 million acres and planted more than 7.7 million trees and shrubs to restore vital habitats.

Gray-breasted Parakeet population increases by 44 percent in just two years. Conservation works, and nowhere is that more clear than in northeast Brazil, where the population of Endangered Gray-breasted Parakeets has grown 44 percent in two years. A 2024 census of this rainbow-colored bird showed 1,238 individuals, up from 863 in 2022. What's behind this remarkable comeback? Steady efforts by our partner Aquasis and support by ABC to protect habitat, provide nest boxes, stop trafficking for the wild bird trade, and establish new colonies. Our early conservation efforts with Aquasis enabled the species to be downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered, and we're optimistic that — if we can maintain our current pace — the Gray-breasted Parakeet will be downlisted yet again in the not-too-distant future.

Crested Eagle gains first protected area in Colombia. Only one nesting site of the magnificent Crested Eagle is known from Colombia, and this year, that special place received conservation protection. Through the Conserva Aves Initiative, ABC supported our partner Sociedad Ornitológica de Córdoba in creating La Cristalina Reserve to protect 656 acres of tropical rainforest. Conserva Aves — a partnership of American Bird Conservancy, Audubon, BirdLife International, Birds Canada, and the Network of Latin American and Caribbean Environmental Funds (RedLAC) — aims to create protected sites for every Endangered and Critically Endangered bird species from Mexico to Chile. In 2024, the partnership supported the establishment of an additional protected area in Colombia as well as two reserve expansions, along with habitat protection for the Red-fronted Macaw in Bolivia. 

Mile-long habitat fence completed on Moloka‘i, Hawai'i for Mōlī (Laysan Albatross) and other seabirds. It's said that fences make good neighbors. That is certainly true for Hawai'i's threatened seabird populations, whose neighbors — such as introduced predators like mongooses, rats, and domestic cats — prey on vulnerable eggs and chicks. This year, ABC and Moloka‘i Land Trust (MLT) completed the construction of a 5,600-foot-long predator-proof conservation fence at the Mokio Preserve on Hawai‘i's Moloka‘i Island. 'Ua'u Kani (Wedge-tailed Shearwaters) are already breeding in this predator-free space strategically positioned above projected sea-level rise. In time, we hope to establish a thriving colony of Mōlī (Laysan Albatross), along with other seabirds. Restoration of habitat and monitoring continues thanks to our work with MLT and Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project. 

Other 2024 highlights: expansion of an ambitious effort to save Hawaiian honeycreepers by suppressing avian malaria-carrying mosquitoes … new research on the recently rediscovered Santa Marta Sabrewing and the rediscovery of six other “Lost Birds” by a global partnership of ABC, Re:wild, and BirdLife International … more acres protected for the Critically Endangered Chestnut-capped Piha with our partner Fundación ProAves … and a reserve created in Ecuador for the world's largest-known Red-faced Parrot population, in partnership with Fundación Jocotoco. 

Reversing Bird Population Declines

To reverse the massive decline of migratory birds, we need to work across vast landscapes. That's what ABC and our partners strive for through our BirdScapes approach — helping to ensure that birds have the habitats they need from breeding grounds to wintering spots and stopovers in between. Working closely with Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (JVs) and their partners, we together improved at least 400,000 acres of bird habitat in 2024. Added to our ABC-wide cumulative totals, that's more than 9.7 million acres of priority habitat conserved from 2007 to 2024, in dozens of states and countries. 

Setting the stage for a grassland bird comeback in the Northern Great Plains. As habitat goes, so go the birds. Grassland birds like the Long-billed Curlew and Thick-billed Longspur are disappearing as endless fields of waving grasses and sagebrush steppe give way to agriculture. No landbirds have declined as precipitously as those of grasslands, making their conservation a top ABC priority, and scaling up our grassland restoration work an imperative. In 2024, we hit a new high of more than 400,000 acres improved for grassland birds in the Northern Great Plains BirdScape, thanks to our work with 178 landowners willing to implement conservation practices on their lands. We're on pace to hit our goal of improving 2.75 million acres in this BirdScape by 2031, and we're grateful to our growing partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and our many on-the-ground partners for making this possible.

Building forest bird habitat, block by block, in Pennsylvania. Forest stewardship efforts for rapidly declining forest birds continue to expand in Pennsylvania. For nearly a decade, ABC and partners have worked with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and private landowners to increase structural forest diversity across the commonwealth. So far, the “Dynamic Forest Restoration” program has applied forestry stewardship techniques to more than 20,000 acres within 35 dynamic forest restoration blocks. These blocks total more than 360,000 acres, providing the mosaic of habitats needed by Golden-winged and Cerulean Warblers, Wood Thrush, and Eastern Whip-poor-will, to name a few. A recent grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation enabled us to plan and implement even more stewardship as well as monitor avian trends at nearly 3,500 survey locations. Initial analysis indicates that these forest stewardship activities are generating positive outcomes for forest bird communities. 

Helping working landscapes work for birds in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our work for migratory birds on their breeding grounds would be incomplete without complementary efforts in the places where they spend the nonbreeding season. In 2024, we worked in 11 BirdScapes in 10 countries to ensure winter habitat for beloved migratory birds such as the Bicknell's Thrush, Cerulean Warbler, and Kentucky Warbler. We do this by partnering with farmers and landowners in working landscapes — including cattle ranches and farms cultivating shade-grown coffee, cacao, and spices — helping them earn a living while managing their lands to help birds. This year, we supported the planting of more than 105,000 native and fruit trees and conserved nearly 1,000 acres of habitat for migratory and resident bird species. In addition, our innovative BirdsPlus Revolving Fund, which provides repayable loans at low interest rates, invested in a mixed rubber-native tree project in the Caribbean Lowlands BirdScape (Costa Rica) and a shade-grown spices (including turmeric and ginger) project in the Highlands and Indio Maíz BirdScapes (Nicaragua). By supporting and encouraging hundreds of local farmers, these projects hold the potential to simultaneously benefit the well-being of birds and people.

Other 2024 highlights: installing 33 new Motus stations in seven U.S. states and six countries, expanding our ability to track birds' movements and enhancing conservation efforts  … exceeding 50,000 pounds of trash removed from Texas shorelines, thanks to the cumulative efforts of our SPLASh program … advancing our BirdsPlus Index to utilize the presence of birds as an indicator of ecosystem health … and restoration of bird habitats from Minnesota to Mississippi for species such as the Red-headed Woodpecker, Swallow-tailed Kite, and Red-cockaded Woodpecker. 

Reducing Threats to All Birds

Where people are, threats to birds exist. But there is so much we can do to minimize the toll of human activities on birds: Glass can be made more visible, reducing collisions; domestic cats, which prey on birds in astounding numbers, can be kept contained or indoors; wind turbines can be sited in areas where they will do less harm — to name just a few. In 2024, ABC worked to minimize these threats in places from Vermont to California, working with farmers, legislators, architects, and more. 

Saying “no” to neonics. Neonicotinoids, or “neonics,” are a nightmare for birds and other wildlife, harming birds both directly through their toxicity and indirectly by depleting their insect prey. ABC is at the forefront of a growing movement to eliminate the use of these harmful pesticides. We're proud to have contributed to legislative wins in Vermont, which banned the sale of neonic-coated seeds this year, and California, where seeds treated with pesticides must now be labeled with their chemical components. In addition, we're working at the ground level — truly — by engaging farmers and growers. ABC launched its Untreated Seed Pilot Program in 2024 to support farmers who want to avoid using neonic-coated seeds, which can be a difficult task in today's agricultural systems. Demand far exceeded our expectations, forecasting potential wins for both people and birds in the future.

Keeping birds safe by keeping cats indoors. Domestic cats are responsible for an estimated 2.4 billion bird deaths annually in the U.S., so reining in or containing them is essential for birds to thrive. This year, ABC's Cats Indoors program successfully opposed legislation in California, Maryland, and Hawai‘i that would have increased the number of unowned cats outdoors. Live traps, sponsored by ABC, supported feral cat control in Hawai'i at Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge and Haleakala National Park where shorebirds like the Ae‘o (Hawaiian Black-necked Stilt) nest. And in Virginia, ABC introduced House Bill 221, the first proactive state-level cat management bill the organization has pursued. We've laid the groundwork for the bill to be reintroduced in an upcoming session. 

Reducing collisions through legislation. Collisions with glass kill more than 1 billion birds each year in the U.S., and we work to reduce the toll in many different ways. For example, we advocate for bird-friendly building ordinances that require measures to make glass visible to birds and thus reduce collisions. In 2024, the number of states and municipalities with bird-friendly building ordinances is up to 28 thanks to new legislation in Portland, Maine, and the upholding of legislation in Madison, Wisconsin, a case where ABC submitted amicus briefs. ABC also supported successful efforts to develop and adopt bird-friendly building ordinances in Lake County, Illinois and Middleton, Wisconsin, and continues to work on policies in other communities across the country.

ABC and partners also debuted an “Architecture for the Birds” workshop in 2024, introducing 80 students and faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning to bird-friendly design concepts. This experience will be used to create a template for use in other architecture schools. 

Other 2024 highlights: ABC and partners secured $44 million in federal funding for Hawaiian bird conservation projects … championed passage of the five-year reauthorization of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act … and were encouraged by the promulgation of the long-sought General Permit Rule for eagles and wind energy, which has already resulted in dramatically increased funding from wind energy developers for Golden Eagle mitigation and other programs.

Building the Bird Conservation Movement 

Partnership has been the cornerstone of ABC's work from the start — we know that our mission to conserve birds and their habitats can't happen without strong relationships built on trust and a shared vision of an expansive, inclusive bird conservation movement. The ever-growing flock of people who care about birds is foundational to all that we do, and building that movement is essential as we take on the toughest challenges facing birds, together. 

Envisioning new futures for conservation. We proudly welcomed our second cohort of Conservation and Justice Fellows this year, a group of 14 talented individuals from across the Western Hemisphere who bring their lived experience to the work of envisioning an ethical future for conservation where we all come together for birds. Their storytelling and community engagement projects explore the deep kinship between people and seabirds, the legacy of discovery narratives in the search for lost species, and creating pathways for increasing access to birds and the outdoors for neurodivergent people. Our fellows are working on bird-focused environmental education projects that reach students in Texas and The Bahamas, and are examining how we might collaboratively and respectfully integrate Indigenous approaches to environmental stewardship into our bird conservation work. We anticipate that what our fellows uncover in their learnings will inform our work at ABC, and ripple outward to the wider bird conservation community. 

Supporting effective stewardship of protected areas, benefiting birds and local communities. For nine years, ABC and March Conservation Fund have collaborated on the Latin American Reserve Stewardship Initiative (LARSI), an effort to bolster the work of our nonprofit partners throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. LARSI helps to ensure that the bird reserves ABC supports and creates are sustainably managed, providing partners with the resources they need to effectively protect habitat, build financial sustainability, tackle emerging threats, support local communities, and more. In 2024, LARSI granted almost $400,000 to 12 partners to enhance their tourism ventures, fundraising initiatives, and development of sustainable coffee production. In Colombia, birding routes were designed and feeders were installed at the Guanacas Reserve, home of the Critically Endangered Antioquia Brushfinch. Our partners constructed interpretive trails and trained local community members as guides in the reserves owned by Instituto Araguaia at the intersection of the Brazilian Amazon and cerrado grassland, where species including the threatened Kaempfer's Woodpecker can be found. Since its creation, LARSI has granted more than $3 million to over 25 conservation organizations.

Welcoming our first Brazilian city to Bird City Network. Bird City Network, our hemisphere-wide collaboration with Environment for the Americas, continued to grow in 2024, welcoming its first Brazil Bird City: Peruíbe, a vibrant town on the coast known for its environmental commitments. Bird City communities across the Western Hemisphere are collaborating to create bird-friendly spaces, promote sustainability in urban planning, and raise awareness about bird conservation in their respective cities and towns. With the creation of Bird City Brazil, other communities in the country (and throughout the hemisphere) are encouraged to participate and contribute to the shared work of promoting sustainability and biodiversity conservation. 

Other 2024 highlights: in partnership with Re:wild, ABC created the Afrofuturism Collective, a group of nine thinkers and leaders who will collectively help us envision a more ethical future for conservation … worked with the Chinati Foundation on a Grassland Restoration Practicum focused on women and gender-nonconforming individuals in the Big Bend area …  hosted our annual Birding Con Orgullo (Birding with Pride) event with Latino Outdoors … and through the American Bird Conservancy Action Fund, continued to generate support for bird conservation champions in the U.S. Congress. 

When it comes to conserving birds across the Americas, Every Acre Counts.

Over the past 30 years, American Bird Conservancy (ABC) has conserved millions of acres of habitat for birds across the Americas. But there is much more to be done: Habitat loss is the most urgent threat facing wild birds today, and we need your help to continue this critical work.

Thanks to a dedicated group of supporters, ABC has launched a special Every Acre Counts 1:1 Match Campaign with a goal of raising $1.5 million for bird conservation by December 31. Your generous support will make it possible for ABC to conserve habitat for birds as well as prevent extinctions, reverse population declines, and reduce threats for birds across the Americas.

Birds need every bit of habitat we can give them. Will you make Every Acre Count for birds with a tax-deductible gift today?

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American Bird Conservancy (ABC) takes bold action to conserve wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Inspired by the wonder of birds, we achieve lasting results for the bird species most in need while also benefiting human communities, biodiversity, and the planet's fragile climate. Our every action is underpinned by science, strengthened by partnerships, and rooted in the belief that diverse perspectives yield stronger results. Founded as a nonprofit organization in 1994, ABC remains committed to safeguarding birds for generations to come. Join us! Together, we can do more to ensure birds thrive.

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