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. abcbirds.org
A copy of the current financial statement and registration filed by the organization may be obtained by contacting: ABC, P.O. Box 249, The Plains, VA 20198. 540-253-5780, or by contacting the following state agencies:
Florida: Division of Consumer Services, toll-free number within the state: 800-435-7352.
Maryland: For the cost of copies and postage: Office of the Secretary of State, Statehouse, Annapolis, MD 21401.
New Jersey: Attorney General, State of New Jersey: 201-504-6259.
New York: Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
Pennsylvania: Department of State, toll-free number within the state: 800-732-0999.
Virginia: State Division of Consumer Affairs, Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23209.
West Virginia: Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305.
Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by any state.
Bird Conservation is the member magazine of ABC and is published three times yearly. Managing Editor: Matt Mendenhall
Graphic Design: Maria de Lourdes Muñoz VP of Communications & Marketing: Clare Nielsen
Contributors: Todd Alleger, Erin Chen, Eliana Fierro-Calderón, Bennett Hennessey, Sara Keith, Hardy Kern, Daniel J. Lebbin, Lara Long, Melissa Ludwig, John C. Mittermeier, Jack Morrison, Michael J. Parr, Holly Robertson, Steve Roels, Jordan E. Rutter, Rebekah Rylander, Marcelo Tognelli, Amy Upgren, George E. Wallace, David A. Wiedenfeld, Kelly Wood
For more information contact: American Bird Conservancy P.O. Box 249 The Plains, VA 20198 540-253-5780 • info@abcbirds.org
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Departments
People Make It Possible
A roundup of photos of ABC staff, Board members, partners, and friends who have made a difference for birds over the last 30 years. Plus, we remember our colleagues who have passed on.
16
Our North Stars
Birdʼs Eye View
Envisioning the next 30 years of bird conservation.
4
On the Wire
News about our new logo, rediscovered birds, the Crested Eagle, Piping Plover, and more.
6
Meet 30 bird species from across the Western Hemisphere that ABC has helped to conserve in the last three decades.
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Cover photo Great Sapphirewing by Ondrej Prosicky, Shutterstock
Left photo Worm-eating Warbler by Joshua Galicki
Top photo Crested Eagle chick
by John C. Mittermeier
Envisioning the Next 30 Years of Bird Conservation
by Michael J. Parr
This year is American Bird Conservancy’s 30th anniversary year. Thirty years from now, if I am still alive, I will be 92 years old. And if I am lucky, I will then be looking back on 60 years of ABC’s progress to conserve the birds of the Americas. What would need to have happened over these next three decades to make me feel that we had succeeded in our work? This seems like an opportune time to look forward, and perhaps some of these thoughts will inspire you too to consider what you would like to see happen for birds in the coming decades.
First and foremost, we cannot conserve bird species if we cannot find them. So, the first order of business is to try to locate the 125 or so of Earth’s bird species that are not yet definitely extinct but have not been observed by anyone in ten or more years at the time of this writing. Can we find half of them? If we can, I think we will have made substantial progress.
Next are the birds that now exist only in captivity (categorized as Extinct in the Wild or EW). There are just a handful of such species, and all are in fact from the
Americas or U.S. territories. One of them is in Hawai‘i, the ‘Alalā or Hawaiian Crow; then there is the Socorro Dove of Mexico, and the Alagoas Curassow of Brazil. The Sihek, or Guam Kingfisher, was recently released back to the wild on Palmyra Atoll, and despite a huge series of challenges, Spix’s Macaw is again breeding in the wild in Brazil after many years only in captivity. Is it too much to hope that all the current EW species could again be breeding in the wild by 2054?
The next group of birds I think about are those that are currently considered Critically Endangered or Endangered in the wild. In the U.S., most of these are also in Hawai‘i. ABC is currently involved in an ambitious project to prevent the extinction of these species by reducing the populations of introduced mosquitoes that are spreading avian malaria to native forest birds. If we succeed, in 30 years, the project will have become effective and self-sustaining, allowing native bird populations to recover and expand. Some may even develop tolerance of malaria as the Hawai‘i ‘Amakihi has already done.
Elsewhere in the hemisphere, we need effective protected areas that provide habitat for all endangered birds. ABC and our partners have made major progress already, with more than 100 bird reserves providing habitat for more than 80 of the Americas’ most endangered birds, such as the Santa Marta Parakeet and Long-whiskered Owlet. This goal should be achievable within a decade or two, perhaps even sooner. Unfortunately, seabirds, which are also highly threatened, are impacted by both climate change and invasive predators. Realistically, we are going to need to protect more nesting colonies with predator-proof enclosures well above sea level (to avoid the rising oceans) for many of these species. For others that exist on uninhabited islands with fewer biosecurity issues, we can conserve them by continuing to implement full-island predator eradications, a practice used for decades and known to be effective. Perhaps by 2050 we can see all the most vulnerable seabird species protected through these methods.
For declining birds that are not yet endangered, like the Golden-winged and Cerulean Warblers, diversifying habitats is the key. To bring back these birds — and reverse the loss of 3 billion of North America’s birds since 1970 — we have to address the fact that North American habitats have become less diverse over time. Too many forests in the east and west are evenly aged, and too much grassland in the center of the continent is evenly grazed, all of which supports less biodiversity and fewer birds.
By 2054, we need to have demonstrated that we can create more diverse forest and grassland systems that can bring birds back, and we need to be in the process of scaling conservation up across a much larger area. If we could first halt declines, then begin a turnaround with a 1-2 percent annual increase, we could potentially return birds to their former abundance by 2100.
For migratory birds, we are going to need similar progress on wintering grounds, too, and supporting the
transition to more sustainable agricultural landscapes in Latin America is critical to this (in addition to expanding protected areas as I mentioned earlier). For example, both coffee and cacao can be grown beneath tree canopies that provide bird habitat. Expanding these and other agricultural practices is an important way to improve bird habitat while capturing carbon as well.
There is more, of course — much more we need to do over the next 30 years, including building a broader future constituency for bird conservation, countering the effects of climate change on bird habitat, and reducing threats to birds such as window collisions and pesticides. And I’ll save those considerations for a future column.
More than anything, right now, we need to pull together and support the growth of bird conservation this year and next — so we can build a solid platform to move all these accomplishments forward for the future. Your end-of-year gift (see pages 14-15) would go a long way to helping make this vision of a better future for birds a reality!
Thank you for all your help.
Michael J. Parr, President American Bird Conservancy
Left The ‘I‘iwi is one of the Hawaiian honeycreepers that will benefit from a mosquito-control project. Photo by Michael Walther, Oahu Nature Tours
Top left To prevent the extinction of the Gray-breasted Parakeet in northeastern Brazil, ABC has supported our partner Aquasisʼ installation of nest boxes and work to prevent poaching. The efforts paid off in 2017 when the species was downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered. Photo by Fabio Nunes
Top right The Cerulean Warbler is one of many bird species that thrive on shade-grown coffee farms. Photo by Matt Felperin
Nest Cam, New Reserve Spotlight Rare Tropical Eagle
The Crested Eagle, a magnificent tropical raptor whose population size is unknown, is the focus of two recent ABC-supported projects.
The first is a new reserve established this year on 656 acres of tropical rainforest in northwestern Colombia’s Alto Sinú region. ABC and Colombian partner Sociedad Ornitológica de Córdoba (SOC), with support from the direct investment funds of the Conserva Aves initiative and other generous ABC supporters, created La Cristalina Reserve, where, in 2021, the first Crested Eagle nest ever recorded in Colombia was located. The eagle pair returned to the area to build a second nest in 2022 and successfully raised a chick.
La Cristalina, which has a bird list of more than 300 species, also provides important habitat for the Critically Endangered Blue-billed Curassow and the Endangered Great Green Macaw.
The second project is a streaming web camera carefully installed and aimed at a Crested Eagle nest near Tambopata National Reserve in Peru’s Amazon rainforest. The eagle pair hatched an egg in April, and in May, birding guide Fernando Ccoa of the ecotourism company Rainforest Expeditions noticed the active nest. As the chick grew over the sum-
mer, Rainforest Expeditions — with ABC support — set up the nest cam in a location that would not disturb the eagles. In early August, the 24/7 camera went live on YouTube and the organizations’ websites, offering the first-ever livestream of a Crested Eagle nest.
The chick began to branch out from the nest in late summer and is expected to remain in the vicinity near its parents until next year.
The Crested Eagle, which is listed as Near Threatened, has an extensive range but sparse distribution. It is found from southern Mexico south into Colombia, east to French Guiana, and south to central Bolivia and southern Brazil.
The establishment of La Cristalina Reserve occurred in part due to the search for a lost bird, the Sinú Parakeet, which was last observed in 1949 in the nearby Sinú Valley. In recent years, SOC has conducted two field searches for the parakeet; raised awareness of the species with posters, stickers, and other materials in the region; and offered a 1-million-pesos reward for information on the species. Community connections and outreach to look for the parakeet led to the discovery of the Crested Eagle nest,
which in turn helped establish La Cristalina.
“We are very excited about the creation of this new reserve,” said Eliana Fierro-Calderón, an International Conservation Project Officer at ABC. “There is still so much we don’t know about the Alto Sinú region, and we can learn more while protecting the habitat and the endangered species that live there. Our partner SOC has already made some amazing discoveries and we are excited to see what else is hidden in this remote region.”
more about the species.
abcbirds.org/CrestedEagleCam
Above A Crested Eagle chick photographed in its nest in 2024 near the Tambopata National Reserve, Peru. Photo by Hugo Cliff Right ABC’s Eliana Fierro-Calderón at La Cristalina Reserve, Colombia.
Photo by Carlos Bran
View ABCʼs Crested Eagle webcam and learn
Extinction Imminent for a Hawaiian Honeycreeper
In July, the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources shared the sad news that one of the state’s native honeycreeper species, the ‘Akikiki, is functionally extinct in the wild. The grayish brown and white bird, which creeps along branches and tree trunks like a nuthatch, is found only on Kaua‘i. At the end of this summer’s field season, five individuals remained on the island’s Alaka‘i Plateau, and at this point there are likely fewer.
‘Akikiki numbers have crashed in recent years from about 450 in 2018 to 45 in 2021 to almost zero this year due to avian malaria carried by invasive mosquitoes. Conservation centers operated by the San Diego Zoo
Wildlife Alliance maintain 43 ‘Akikiki in captivity and have successfully bred the species.
ABC and the Birds, Not Mosquitoes partnership are actively reducing the avian malaria threat on Kaua‘i, Maui, and elsewhere in the state. The hope is that when the mosquitoes and disease are reduced, ‘Akikiki can be returned to their home on Kaua‘i.
New ABC Logo Emphasizes Birds and Habitat Conservation
As we celebrate ABC’s 30th anniversary this fall, we’re excited to unveil a new logo that better expresses who ABC is today. “The old red, white, and blue logo served us well for many years, but the colors implied a special focus on the United States. We wanted to allow the logo to convey a broader geographic reach, since ABC now works in more than 15 countries,” said Clare Nielsen, Vice President of Marketing and Communications.
Since our founding in 1994, ABC’s logo has always featured a hummingbird — a bird family found only in the Americas and known for its
boldness. The new logo retains the hummingbird connection, with a special twist: The stylized leafshaped back wing of the bird symbolizes bird habitat. “We’re excited at how well the new logo expresses our ongoing commitment to our mission: to conserve birds and their habitats across the Americas,” said Nielsen. Look for the new logo in redesigned materials over the coming months and into 2025, when we’ll launch an entirely new magazine and website at abcbirds.org.
Another Record Year for Plovers
A record 81 pairs of Piping Plovers nested around the Great Lakes this summer, surpassing by one the total set in 2023. For several years prior, the number of breeding pairs annually had been 7075. Leaders of the Great Lakes Piping Plover Conservation Team say that the record of 150 fledged chicks in 2022 led to the recent uptick in breeding pairs.
Left One of the last
‘Akikiki in the wild. Photo courtesy Hawai‘i DLNR
Below Nā Pali coast, Kaua‘i by MNStudio, Shutterstock
Piping Plover chick by Ray Hennessy, Shutterstock
Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance Honors Birds, Not Mosquitoes
Birds, Not Mosquitoes (BNM), an initiative by ABC and several partner organizations, received the Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance's (HCA) Conservation Innovation Award in July during the 31st annual Hawai‘i Conservation Conference in Honolulu. The award recognizes new technologies or techniques used in conservation activities that lead to significant advances in environmental conservation in Hawai‘i.
In choosing BNM for the award, HCA noted the speed, cooperation, strategic thinking, and community engagement that characterizes the unique alliance of federal, state, and nongovernmental organizations. Chris Farmer, ABC’s Hawai‘i Program Director, accepted the award on behalf of ABC.
Following years of rigorous study, analysis, and technological innovation, BNM has successfully and safely released over the last 11 months more than 19 million nonbiting, lab-reared male mosquitoes across several thousand acres in remote conservation areas on Haleakalā, Maui. Scientist expect the males to mate with wild females, resulting in nonviable eggs that will reduce mosquito populations. Planning is underway to begin deployment on over 3,000 acres of remote forests on the Alaka‘i Plateau, Kaua‘i in early 2025.
ABC is grateful to the BAND Foundation, The Dorrance Family Foundation, and The Aditi Fund of Hawaiʻi Community Foundation for their support of this program.
ABC Offering Seeds Free of Neonics
In September, ABC launched a program that will allow American farmers and producers to avoid using corn, soybean, and cereal crop seeds coated with neonicotinoid insecticides, also known as neonics, by offering untreated seeds.
Participants in the Untreated Seed Pilot Program will be paid $10 per acre of corn, $15 per acre of soybeans, and $15 per acre of wheat. (Rates are subject to adjustments depending on total acreage per grower and other considerations.) ABC will monitor the project to better understand and address the challenges in reducing or eliminating the use of neonics as
seed coatings. “We began this program because the widespread use of neonics significantly reduces wild birds’ insect food sources and harms their health directly,” said Hardy Kern, ABC’s Director of Government Relations, Pesticides and Birds Campaign.
ABC is grateful to The Raines Family Fund for supporting the Pesticides program and to One Hive Foundation for making this pilot program possible.
For more info, visit: abcbirds.org/USPP
Birds and Habitat Boosted in Alaska
28 million 27
Number of acres in Alaska that will
retain federal protection from oil and mining development following a decision in late August by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. The decision affects so-called “D-1 lands” under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; the total area is about the size of Pennsylvania.
Number of “special status” bird species that occur within
the preserved areas, according to the Bureau of Land Management. The species, which include the Gyrfalcon, Bristle-thighed Curlew, Steller’s Eider, Yellow-billed Loon, and Rusty Blackbird, all have declining populations.
Treated corn seeds on the left alongside untreated seeds.
Photo by Hardy Kern
A Gyrfalcon in Alaska by Agami Photo Agency, Shutterstock
right One of the birds that benefits from grassland restoration in Mexico is the Long-billed Curlew. Photo by Greg Lavaty
15 Years of Successes for Southern Wings
In 2009, leaders of state fish and wildlife agencies founded a program called Southern Wings to deal with a simple fact: Birds don’t recognize state and national borders.
The agencies realized that conservation work on behalf of migratory birds within their borders couldn’t help species once they flew south for the winter. So, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies organized a task force that soon created Southern Wings, which this fall celebrated its 15th anniversary.
The program enables state wildlife agencies to partner with ABC and other groups to invest in conservation projects for priority bird species in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Southern Wings focuses on migration stopover sites
and wintering grounds, which complement states’ investment in bird breeding habitats within their own borders. The program also leverages limited state funds with matching grants and in-kind contributions from ABC and our international partners.
Throughout the program’s first decade and a half, 41 state wildlife agencies have contributed more than $4.2 million to Southern Wings. The funds have been aimed at conserving 81 migratory bird species on stopover sites and wintering grounds through 24 projects in 11 countries.
To date ABC has received $1.9 million through Southern Wings for projects in several countries. Examples include:
• The creation or expansion of protected areas covering nearly 11,000 acres near the
Caribbean coast in Guatemala by ABC and partner FUNDAECO. The work helps migratory warblers, thrushes, flycatchers, and sandpipers.
• The restoration of 140,000 acres of grasslands in northern Mexico led by ABC and partner Pronatura Noreste. The area, known as El Tokio Grassland Priority Conservation Area, is critical for the Long-billed Curlew, Mountain Plover, and Worthen’s Sparrow.
• The creation of reserves and habitat corridors in Colombia’s Eastern Andes for the benefit of Cerulean, Golden-winged, and other warbler species, as well as other Neotropical migrants. ABC, ProAves, and other partners continue to plant thousands of trees in the region and are starting an internship program to engage young adults in conservation work.
ABC is grateful to the following states for their support of ABC and our partners through Southern Wings: Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. We are also grateful for the support of the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Mississippi Flyway Council, and the Pacific Flyway Council.
Left ABC and Southern Wings helped Fundación ProAves create the bird-rich Reinita Cielo Azul reserve in central Colombia. Photo by Fundación ProAves Below The Kentucky Warbler relies on conservation areas funded by ABC and Southern Wings in Guatemala. Photo by Ray Hennessy, Shutterstock Bottom
Three More ‘Lost Birds’ Found
In recent months, birders in Papua New Guinea and Peru have documented bird species that were considered lost for decades.
In March, Fiji-based photojournalist Tom Vierus photographed a New Britain Goshawk, a raptor endemic to the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea. His photo was the first ever taken of the species and the first documented sighting since 1969.
In June, a group of birders led by Joshua Bergmark
of tour company Ornis Birding Expeditions, documented the Mussau Triller, a member of the cuckooshrike family found only on Mussau Island north of Papua New Guinea. The group tallied nine individuals in three flocks and took the first known photos and audio recordings of the species. The bird was last confirmed in 1979.
And in August, three birders in south-central Peru spotted two Vilcabamba Incas, a mostly green and
white hummingbird last conclusively documented in 1967. The bird, officially a subspecies of Collared Inca, is poorly known and may be a distinct species. Several sightings of the inca have been reported in the last few years, but the August sighting was the first to capture photos and video of a living Vilcabamba Inca. Hummingbird photographer, YouTuber, and ABC Ambassador Carole Turek was among the group who documented
it. (Turek’s video about the bird is featured on her Hummingbird Spot YouTube channel.)
The goshawk, triller, and inca are among the roughly 125 avian species worldwide that the Search for Lost Birds (a project of ABC, BirdLife International, and Re:wild) is focused on locating.
ABC is grateful to Kathleen P. Burger and Glen Gerada and The Constable Foundation for their support of this program.
New Field Guide to Birds of Western Mexico Published
An ABC partner in western Mexico, the Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero (Autonomous University of Guerrero), recently released a new Spanish-language field guide, Aves de la Sierra de Atoyac, with ABC support. The book, by ecologist Roberto Carlos AlmazánNúñez, covers all of the birds of the Atoyac Mountains in the state of Guer-
rero, including the Critically Endangered Short-crested Coquette and the Vulnerable White-throated Jay and Military Macaw, as well as trogons, brushfinches, and other residents. ABC Members who are interested in purchasing a copy of the guide (for $20 plus shipping) may contact Almazán, the author, by email at rcarlos. almazan@gmail.com.
Above left New Britain Goshawk by Tom Vierus Above right Vilcabamba Inca by Carole Turek, Hummingbird Spot Top left Mussau Triller by Joshua Bergmark, Ornis Birding Expeditions
Military Macaws by David Havel, Shutterstock
The Staggering Toll of Building Collisions
A groundbreaking research study published in August has uncovered alarming new evidence that building collisions are killing significantly more birds than previously estimated — well over one billion annually in the United States alone.
The research, conducted by scientists at Fordham University, NYC Bird Alliance, Stony Brook University, and ABC examined outcomes for over 3,000 birds injured in building collisions and brought to rehabilitators across multiple states. Their findings uncovered that only 40 percent of birds with injuries from collisions survive, even with the highest standards of wildlife rehabilitator care, suggesting that current mortality estimates based solely on birds found dead at collision sites vastly
undercount the true toll.
“Even under the best care conditions provided by wildlife rehabilitators, 60 percent of collision victims ultimately died from their injuries,” said lead author Ar Kornreich of Fordham.
“This indicates that birds who appear stunned or fly away after a collision are far more likely to die than previously thought.”
Previous research estimated between 365 million and 988 million birds die annually from building collisions in the U.S. However, the new findings suggest that even this upper estimate falls short of the true impact.
“Unfortunately, our work shows populationlevel declines are not something we can fix with rehabilitation,” added co-author Dustin Partridge of NYC Bird Alliance.
This study not only sheds light on the magnitude of the problem but also points to potential solutions. By implementing bird-friendly design in new construction and retrofitting existing buildings, building owners can significantly reduce bird collisions. Additionally, reducing artificial light at night can help reduce the disorienting effect of lights on night-migrating birds, further preventing collisions and concentrations of
birds in human-dominated landscapes.
“Birds generally cannot see or recognize glass. When they see vegetation or the sky reflected in windows, they perceive it as habitat and do not know there’s a barrier in the way that they cannot fly through,” added co-author Kaitlyn Parkins of ABC. “The good news is, people can help. For existing buildings and homes, the easiest fix is to add inexpensive, commercially available birdsafe window treatments such as those tested by ABC.”
ABC thanks the Leon Levy Foundation and David Walsh for their support of our Glass Collisions program.
Learn more about how to prevent birds from colliding with buildings at: abcbirds.org/glass-collisions
Above These birds, which died after hitting buildings in Toronto, were collected by Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada. Photo by Kenneth Herdy
Top right One of the North American birds most likely to collide with windows is the Ovenbird. Photo by Joshua Galicki
A Few of Our Firsts for Birds
Time has flown by since ABC’s 1994 founding, and we’ve grown from a small organization with a handful of staff to a team of more than 150 working with partners in 15+ countries. Here’s a hemispheric roundup highlighting a few of ABC’s many bird conservation milestones from the last 30 years.
1. Washington, D.C.
Our first office in 1994 was in a space leased from the World Wildlife Fund on 24th Street NW. After moves to The Plains, Virginia, and a succession of D.C. offices, ABC now maintains offices in Marshall, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., while our staff are spread across 36 states and the District of Colombia.
2. San Clemente Island, California
ABC’s first policy and advocacy win occurred in 1996, when, along with the Policy Council, we convinced the U.S. Navy to prevent the extinction of the San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike by discontinuing practice bombing activities on the island.
3. Pampas region of Argentina
In 1996, ABC and other groups advocated for the removal of the birdkilling pesticide monocrotophos in the wintering range of the Swainson’s Hawk, which was declining due to the chemical. The victory led to the creation of ABC’s Birds and Pesticides program.
4. El Carricito, Mexico
ABC’s first bird reserve was created in 1999, when along with partner group Bosque Antiguo, we supported the protection of more than 900 acres of habitat used by the Military Macaw, Eared Quetzal, Golden Eagle, Spotted Owl, and more than 80 Neotropical migrants. The site remains an Important Bird Area to this day.
5. Columbia River Basin
ABC scored our first lawsuit victory in 2002. Along with other conservation groups, we advocated for the protection of the world’s largest Caspian Tern colony, located near the mouth of the Columbia River, between Washington and Oregon.
6. U.S. coastal waters
In 2006, ABC’s Marine program notched an early win with the creation of a mandatory seabird bycatch reduction effort as part of the federal law that oversees fisheries management in U.S. waters.
7. Huembo Reserve, Peru
In 2006, ABC supported efforts of Peruvian partner ECOAN to establish a conservation easement with the Pomacochas community. The first easement of its kind in Peru, the agreement was a model for several more and protected vital habitat for the Endangered Marvelous Spatuletail.
8. Powdermill Avian Research Center, Pennsylvania
Our first glass-testing tunnel, created in partnership with the Powdermill Avian Research Center to advance development of bird-friendly glass, began operating in 2010. A second tunnel, at Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory in Maryland, opened in 2022; together, the sites have tested products from more than 70 glass companies from over a dozen countries.
9. Poconos BirdScape, Pennsylvania
In January 2017, ABC launched its BirdScapes approach, pursuing habitat conservation across large landscapes from 150,000 to 2.5 million acres in size. The idea for BirdScapes hatched in the Poconos of eastern Pennsylvania, which is now one of the 100 BirdScapes throughout the Americas.
10. Conservation Coast of Guatemala
The first investment of our BirdsPlus program took place in 2019 to support restoration of 60 acres of former pasture with native trees and plants, along with cardamom — a crop that grows well in the shade and provides farmers with income and incentive to conserve the land.
11. Zorzal Cacao, Dominican Republic
An ABC grant led to the 2021 certification of 16 cocoa farms in the Dominican Republic as the first Smithsonian Bird Friendly cocoa producers in the world. The farms are part of Zorzal Cacao, a farming collective and bird sanctuary.
12. Haleakalā, Maui
The Birds, Not Mosquitoes program’s first deployment of lab-reared mosquitoes to combat avian malaria took place in November 2023. ABC is one of several organizations backing this innovative method to save Hawai‘i’s imperiled honeycreepers.
Swainson's Hawk by Rob McKay, Shutterstock
ABC works in countries across the Western Hemisphere to conserve birds and their habitats. This map shows a few of the notable “firsts” we’ve achieved for birds since 1994.
Hawaiʻi
When it comes to conserving birds across the Americas, Every Acre Counts.
Thanks to dedicated supporters like you, American Bird Conservancy has conserved millions of acres of habitat for birds over the past 30 years. But there is much more to be done: Habitat loss is the most urgent threat facing wild birds today.
Birds need every bit of habitat we can give them. Will you make Every Acre Count for birds with a gift today?
Thanks to your generous support, ABC is able to deploy multiple methods of habitat conservation to help prevent extinctions, reverse population declines, and reduce threats to birds, including:
• Protection, through supporting the establishment of over 100 reserves spanning 1.1 million acres for the most endangered birds in Latin America, such as the Cundinamarca Antpitta in Colombia’s highland cloud forest;
• Restoration, such as planting more than 1.6 million Polylepis trees in the past 22 years with our partner ECOAN in the high Andes of Peru, helping birds such as the Royal Cinclodes;
• Management, like helping farmers and ranchers throughout the Western Hemisphere implement best
management practices for healthy populations of birds such as the Golden-winged Warbler, Wood Thrush, and Marbled Godwit;
• Threat reduction in habitats we share with birds on land, near water, and in the air. We encourage cat owners to keep their cats indoors, advocate for laws that protect birds from deadly pesticides and pollution, and reduce collisions with glass and wind turbines — making habitat safer for birds while benefiting communities and our planet’s precious biodiversity.
Habitat conservation is essential for bird conservation. Will you help us conserve the places birds need with your generous support today?
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 million for bird conservation by December 31.
Please give today so that thanks to you, birds will always have a safe place to call home. Together, weʼll make Every Acre Count for birds across the Americas.
Use the enclosed envelope, scan the code, or visit: abcbirds.org/EveryAcreCounts
People Make It Possible
ABC’s accomplishments over the last three decades are for the birds, but it’s people who have made it all possible! We extend our thanks to the entire ABC community — our passionate staff, committed Board of Directors, stalwart partners, and dedicated supporters. Here are a few special moments in ABC’s history when people came together to make bird conservation happen — and celebrate our results.
During a 2013 visit to Brazil’s Canudos Biological Station, staffers of our partner Fundação Biodiversitas joined ABC supporters Cathy and George Ledec (center), David Younkman (near center with blue shirt), our now-retired leader of the Western Region, and to his right, supporters Patricia and David Davidson (then an ABC Board member).
George Fenwick, our first president, admires horseshoe crabs on the shore of Delaware Bay in 2014. Photo by Katherine
Fahey
Howard Brokaw, ABC’s first Board chair and founding director, birds in 1991. Photo courtesy American Ornithological Society
The staff of SPLASh (Stopping Plastics and Litter Along Shorelines), a program of ABC, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, and Black Cat GIS: Chloe Dannenfelser, Liz Virgl, and Celeste Silling. Photo courtesy SPLASh
Rebekah Rylander (left), Science Coordinator for the Rio Grande Joint Venture, Anna Matthews, GIS Coordinator for ABC, and Amanda Haverland, Southern Great Plains Science Coordinator, at a 2023 meeting for Joint Ventures in Alabama. Photo by Rebekah Rylander
Larry Selzer, current Chair of ABC’s Board of Directors.
Shawn Graff, ABC’s Vice President, U.S. and Canada (right), and participants in a summer 2024 Kirtland’s Warbler tour in Wisconsin raise their optics to view their target bird. Photo by
Melissa Ludwig (left), an ABC Grants Officer, and EJ Williams, Vice President of the Southeast Region, keep watch for Swallow-tailed Kites during field work in South Carolina in June 2023. Photo by
President Michael J. Parr at our 2023 DC Big Walk for ABC.
Photo by Toni Genberg
Photo courtesy the Richard King Mellon Foundation
Steve Roels
Gina Kent
Hardy Kern, ABC’s Director of Government Relations, Pesticides and Birds Campaign, visits the U.S. Capitol to advocate for birds.
Photo by Erica Sánchez Vázquez
ABC staff at our 2022 retreat on the New
Authors and Board members Carl Safina (left), Amy Tan, and Jonathan Franzen visit ABC project sites in Ecuador in January 2024 with President Michael J. Parr (seated), Dan Lebbin, Vice President of Threatened Species, birding guide Juan Carlos Figueroa, and Patricia Paladines, Safina’s wife and an accomplished photographer and environmental educator.
A team from Instituto Marcos Daniel, an ABC partner in Brazil, takes part in an ABC-sponsored firefighting course in the Kaetés Reserve, home of the Critically Endangered Cherry-throated Tanager.
Photo courtesy IMD
Staff from our Colombian partner Fundación ProAves, supporters, other stakeholders, and ABC’s Eliana Fierro-Calderón (center, wearing cap), an International Conservation Project Officer, celebrate the opening of Reserva Las Tángaras, the first Regional Natural Park in the Department of Chocó in April 2024.
Conservation partners, including Dan Lebbin (second from left), Vice President of Threatened Species, and Pedro Develey, Karlla Barbosa, and Thiago Costa of SAVE Brasil discuss plans for the first municipal reserve for the Marsh Antwren at Guararema, Brazil, which was established in 2019. Photo by Bennett Hennessey
Dan Lebbin (left), Vice President of Threatened Species, and Tino Aucca, President of our Peruvian partner ECOAN, in 2019 at Sangal in the Cajamarca Valley, the most reliable site for the Gray-bellied Comet.
The
Jersey coast.
In Fond Remembrance
Paola Villalba (left), Sales Manager at Jocotours/Fundación Jocotoco, joins ABC Board member Maribel Guevara.
Photo by Clare Nielsen
ABC’s successes over the years would not have been possible without the contributions of staff members who have since passed on. We recognize and remember fondly the following people who contributed so much to bird conservation and ABC.
Jason Berry (1969-2017)
Jason worked for ABC as an International Landscape Conservation Officer from 2011 to 2016. One of his major projects was developing our Wind Risk Assessment Map. A keen birder, he spent many years in Guatemala, where he met and married his wife.
Robert “Chip” Chipley (1939-2021)
A scientist, conservationist, and author, Chip was a man of many talents. He served in various roles at ABC from 1998 to 2009 and was a co-author of the 2003 book American Bird Conservancy Guide to the 500 Most Important Bird Areas in the United States
Karen Cotton (1951-2009)
Karen served as Bird Collisions Campaign Manager from February to December 2008. A compassionate and dedicated protector of birds and animals of all kinds, Karen played a key role in the movement to make buildings safer for birds.
Mary Gustafson (1960-2022)
A passionate birder, bird guide, and field biologist, Mary was the Coordinator of the ABC-supported Rio Grande Joint Venture from January 2010 until December 2015. She was known for her generous spirit and willingness to share her bird knowledge.
Michael Hutchins (1960-2018)
An outspoken advocate for nature, Michael founded ABC’s Wind Energy Program and served as its director from October 2013 until his death in January 2018. Among his many interests were writing and championing the role of zoos and aquariums in conserving rare species.
David Pashley (1950-2018)
David worked for ABC from 1995 until his retirement in 2017, primarily as our Vice President for U.S. Conservation Partnerships. In addition, he served as the first national coordinator of Partners in Flight and the first coordinator of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative. He also was instrumental in creating seven Joint Ventures, regional affiliations consisting of state and federal land-managing agencies and conservation-minded nonprofit organizations.
David Roos (1956-2019)
David served as ABC’s Chief Financial Officer from January 2014 until his retirement in December 2018. He was a passionate gardener who loved native plants, and he is also remembered for his sense of humor and willingness to lend a hand.
Judy Szczepaniak (d. 2014)
Judy served as ABC’s Office Manager from 2004 to 2014. Cheerful and friendly, always ready to help, Judy was the first contact many members, staff, and Board had with ABC. She was known to staff as “ABC’s best ambassador.”
A team from ABC, New Hampshire Audubon, and Fairfax County Parks poses with a 30-foot Motus tower they installed at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, Virginia, in February 2024. Motus is a wildlife tracking program led by Birds Canada. Photo by Erica Sánchez Vázquez
The Long-billed Curlew, North America’s largest shorebird, is one of ABC’s priority species for conservation. Photo by Tim Zurowski, Shutterstock
Our North Stars
Meet 30 bird species from across the Western Hemisphere that ABC has helped to conserve in the last three decades
by Matt Mendenhall, Managing Editor
In the 30 years since American Bird Conservancy was founded, we and our partner groups throughout the Western Hemisphere have conserved millions of acres and protected habitat for more than 3,000 bird species.
We’d love to be able to introduce you to all 3,000+ species, but that’s not in the cards for a 44-page magazine. Instead, allow us to present on the pages that follow 30 special bird species that represent ABC programs and partnerships — and whose futures are looking brighter thanks to our conservation focus. These stories show that ABC’s bold action for birds works: We can bring birds back from the brink, enable populations to recover, and reduce the threats they face. Many more bird species are in need of conservation action, but as these stories show, there is hope.
Each species profile includes notes on its estimated
population, the population trend, habitat, and its status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, which range from Critically Endangered to Least Concern. Follow the QR code accompanying many of these profiles to visit ABC’s Bird Library (abcbirds.org/birds), where you can hear songs, watch video, view the species’ range, and more.
Most of the readers of this magazine are ABC Members, and for that, we thank you. Your support, no matter the amount, has helped ensure that ABC can keep the organization running efficiently for the benefit of the birds covered here. If youʼre not currently a Member, please consider joining the ranks of the nearly 30,000 people who help us care for birds and bird habitats throughout the Americas. Visit abcbirds.org/join to learn more.
AVIAN DISCOVERIES
It’s not every day that a bird species is discovered or rediscovered, but it seems to happen somewhere in the world a few times per year. The three species on these pages are examples of these discoveries — and their stories illustrate how ABC is involved in projects that benefit them. The Search for Lost Birds, a collaboration between ABC, BirdLife International, and Re:wild, works to locate species that have not been recorded for a decade or more. The Blue-eyed Ground-Dove of Brazil was in that camp until its rediscovery in 2015. Now, it’s the focus of a captive-breeding program that ABC supports. ABC and other partners also work to protect habitat for birds that have been discovered or rediscovered. For example, we’ve been involved in creating reserves in recent years for the ground-dove, the Cundinamarca Antpitta (discovered in 1989) and the Blue-throated Hillstar (discovered in 2017). Scan to learn more
Cundinamarca Antpitta
Population: 330-800
IUCN Status: Endangered Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Highland cloud forest in central Colombia
The genus name for this bird and more than 45 other antpitta species, Grallaria, is derived from a Latin word meaning “stilt-walker,” which refers to the birds’ long legs. The 19thcentury naturalists who named the genus, however, were not lucky enough to encounter this particular antpitta. It went undiscovered until 1989, when top world birder Peter Kaestner (now an ABC Ambassador) heard an unfamiliar bird call in a Colombian forest. He soon saw the bird, and three years later, it was officially recognized. With an olive-brown back and gray underparts streaked with white, the Cundinamarca Antpitta may not be particularly eye-catching, but it has garnered much attention due to the deforestation threatening its small range. Recently, 446 acres were purchased for the antpitta to create the Reserva Natural Refugio Tororoi by Fundación Camaná, working in partnership with the local Herrera family, and supported by ABC and direct investment funds of the Conserva Aves initiative. We also featured the species and our work to conserve it during a March 2024 ABC webinar, which is available on our YouTube channel.
Cundinamarca Antpitta by Daniel J. Lebbin
Right Botumirim State Park in eastern Brazil protects the tiny ground-dove population. Photo by Albert Aguiar Far right Marcelo Lisita of SAVE Brasil’s Blue-eyed Ground-Dove project. Photo courtesy SAVE Brasil
Blue-throated Hillstar
Population: 80-110
IUCN Status: Critically
Endangered Trend: Decreasing
Habitat: High-altitude grassland in Ecuador
The striking Blue-throated Hillstar was discovered in 2017 in the Andes Mountains of southern Ecuador. It exists only in an ecosystem known as the páramo, which consists of alpine grasses and shrubs found from
elevations of about 10,000 to 16,000 feet. An evergreen shrub with spiky leaves and small pine-cone-like orange flowers called the Chuquiragua is the hillstar’s main food source, and the bird is the plant’s main pollinator. Due to this interdependence, restoring patches of Chuquiragua is key to conserving the bird. Shortly after the bird’s discovery, ABC and Ecuadorian partner Fundación Jocotoco began buying habitat around Cerro de Arcos, where most of the population is found. In 2020, the groups created the Cerro de Arcos Reserve and have continued to expand it. Today it covers more than 1,330 acres, and at least 300 more acres may be added within two years.
Blue-eyed Ground-Dove
Population: 17 wild, 3 captive
IUCN Status: Critically
Endangered Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Tropical savanna of eastern Brazil
In 2015, Brazilian ornithologist Rafael Bessa was conducting field work when he heard an unfamiliar bird call. The source turned out to be the Blueeyed Ground-Dove, a species feared extinct for 75 years. While it’s not extinct, its numbers are critically low. The small, mostly
cinnamon-colored dove is named for its vivid blue eyes, which match the spots dotting its wings. ABC partner SAVE Brasil leads conservation work for the species, including the creation of the 1,465-acre Blue-eyed Ground-Dove Reserve. ABC supported the reserve and its management through a grant from the Latin American Reserve Stewardship Initiative, a program of ABC and March Conservation Fund. Fledging success of wild-hatched chicks is very low, so in hopes of boosting the bird’s numbers, scientists have turned to captive breeding. In the last two years, three ground-dove chicks have hatched in captivity, and the team hopes to produce more over the coming years.
Blue-throated Hillstar by Roger Ahlman
Blue-eyed Ground-Dove by Ciro Albano
Royal Cinclodes
Population: Fewer than 250 IUCN Status: Critically Endangered Trend: Decreasing Habitat: High-altitude woodlands and montane scrub in Peru and Bolivia
For decades, ABC and our partners in Peru and Bolivia have been working toward the recovery of the Critically Endangered Royal Cinclodes. The dark-brown member of the furnariids family nests in tunnels dug into banks and cliff faces, and it forages in moss
mostly found underneath shrub-like evergreens in the genus Polylepis Since 2002, ABC has directly supported our Peru partner Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) in planting nearly 1.4 million native trees to restore 1,700 acres of Polylepis woodlands in the Vilcanota mountain range. Similarly, in Bolivia, ABC, Asociación Armonía, and Insituto de Ecología have planted thousands of trees in the bird’s range. More signs of hope: Local communities have established protected areas in Peru covering 21,000 acres, and ABC and ECOAN are working on a new 13,000-acre reserve with the community of Quelcanca. And ECOAN censuses from 2002 to 2023 have found increases of some cinclodes populations in managed forests within protected areas.
Worthen’s Sparrow
Population: 250-1,000
IUCN Status: Endangered Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Shrubby, arid grasslands and fallow fields of Mexico
The Worthen’s Sparrow, which is found only in arid open lands of Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert, is closely related to several sparrows found in the United States, including Field, Chipping, and Black-chinned. In fact, it looks similar
to the Field Sparrow, and its song sounds like the Chipping Sparrow’s. But unlike those more common and widespread birds, the Worthen’s is restricted to a limited range. Habitat loss due to potato farming and overgrazing by livestock are primary threats. The species also relies on rainfall for its breeding cycle, and therefore it is further at risk due to altered rainfall patterns caused by climate change. Since 2007, ABC, Southern Wings, the Rio Grande Joint Venture, and our partner in Mexico, Pronatura Noreste, have been working to conserve the sparrow’s habitat in El Tokio Grassland Priority Conservation Area; to date, more than 140,000 acres have been protected through acquisition or enrolled in conservation agreements.
Worthen's Sparrow by Greg Homel, Natural Elements Productions
Marsh Antwren
Population: 150-700
IUCN Status: Critically
Endangered
Trend: Unknown
Habitat: Freshwater marshes in the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil
LOCAL SPECIALTIES
Many bird species exist only in one place on Earth, where their limited ranges leave them vulnerable to significant threats within the places they call home. ABC works with partner organizations and local communities on behalf of many threatened endemic species, especially in establishing or expanding nature reserves where the birds are found. And since 2015, ABC and March Conservation Fund have worked to strengthen the internal operations of on-the-ground ABC partners that are committed to land stewardship through the Latin American Reserve Stewardship Initiative (LARSI). Three local endemic species that benefit from this work are the Marsh Antwren of Brazil, the Worthen’s Sparrow of Mexico, and the Royal Cinclodes of Peru and Bolivia.
The Marsh Antwren, a long-tailed and darkcolored bird that was discovered in 2004, is the only bird species endemic to the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It lives in a few dozen small marshes at the headwaters of the Tietê and Paraíba do Sul river basins, around 30 miles east of São Paulo, the largest metropolis in
South America. Habitat loss due to sand mining, housing developments, and fish farming is its primary threat. Another is an invasive grass species that encroaches on the antwren’s habitat. In 2019, the municipality of Guararema established the 5,860-acre Bicudinho Wildlife Refuge after ABC supported a population survey and census of the species by our partner, SAVE Brasil. Another nonprofit, Guaranature, and municipal authorities mapped the bird’s habitat and designed the refuge’s boundaries. ABC is currently working to establish a second reserve for the antwren — a further sign of hope.
Marsh Antwren by Mario Campagnoli
Below and right Members of the Quechua community in Peru and ABC's partner ECOAN plant Polylepis seedlings and hold a festival in the Vilcanota Mountains.
NORTH AMERICAN ICONS
Certain bird species are, simply put, feathered celebrities. These include birds with spectacular plumages and behaviors as well as state birds and game birds. Unfortunately, some iconic species are also under threat, and ABC and our partners work to bring their populations back through a variety of methods. For example, ABC advocates for more protection for the charismatic yet declining Greater Sage-Grouse at the federal and state level. And ABC’s BirdScapes and Pesticides programs benefit the Western Meadowlark, the state bird for six states. Similarly, our work with the Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (JVs) and other partners helps the Northern Bobwhite, a popular game bird and the state bird in three states.
Western Meadowlark
Population: 90 million
IUCN Status: Least Concern Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Grasslands such as prairies, pastures, and abandoned fields
When American states were selecting their state birds, six of them — Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming — chose the Western Meadowlark. And for good reason: It’s a striking yellow-chested bird with a lovely
gurgling song that is found from west-central Canada to the Great Lakes to central Mexico. Despite its large range, its population has fallen by more than 40 percent in the last 50 years. The familiar foes of habitat loss and pesticide use are primary threats. The meadowlark and other grassland species benefit from ABC’s BirdScapes conservation approach, which focuses on habitats that migratory birds require. We also continue advocating for the cancellation of dangerous pesticides that threaten insect-eating birds.
Scan to learn more
Meadowlark by Richard Goluch, Shutterstock
Greater Sage-Grouse by Rob Palmer Photography, Shutterstock
Northern Bobwhite
Population: 5.8 million
IUCN Status: Near Threatened Trend: Decreasing
Habitat: Old fields and hedgerows, native grasslands, open forests
This handsome, ground-dwelling quail species is found in the eastern and southern United States and Mexico, as well as the Caribbean and a few isolated spots in the Pacific Northwest. Once a common species, its numbers have dropped by 85 percent in the last several decades. Habitat loss and
the increasing usage of pesticides appear to be the leading reasons for the decline. In recent years, widely used neonicotinoid pesticides have taken a significant toll on the bobwhite and other grassland birds, and ABC has been leading efforts for more regulation of the chemicals. In addition, we work with landowners to restore grassland habitat through projects such as the Grassland Restoration Incentive Program and the National Bobwhite and Grassland Initiative. ABC is also advocating for measures to be included in the next Farm Bill that would help grassland species such as the bobwhite rebound.
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Greater Sage-Grouse
Population: 150,000
IUCN Status: Near Threatened Trend: Decreasing
Habitat: Sagebrush plains and open country in the western United States and Canada
The Greater Sage-Grouse, the largest North American grouse, has inspired humans for centuries, especially due to the male’s strutting and booming mating display. Sadly, the species has not fared well in the industrial era. Its range once included 13 western states and three Canadian provinces, but now, habitat loss, energy production, overgrazing, and other factors have constricted it to 11 states and slivers of two provinces. For years, ABC’s Policy team has advocated for the sage-grouse in Washington, D.C., and in western states. This year, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management proposed new management plans for the species; ABC and other conservation groups have called the agency’s preferred plan inadequate. Instead, conservationists say, the agency should provide more durable, comprehensive protections for the habitat most vital to the bird. A final plan is expected soon.
Scan to learn more
Northern Bobwhite by Walter Eastland, Shutterstock
Greater Sage-Grouse by Vivek Khanzode
CONSERVATION SYMBOLS
Condors, albatrosses, and macaws are large, gregarious, and spectacular birds that, thanks to their size, evoke awe in anyone who spots them. The three species on these pages are flagship species for conservation, especially in South America. ABC and our partners work to help these and other symbolic bird species by improving fisheries and reducing plastic waste in the oceans, protecting habitats, and strengthening habitat management through the Latin American Reserve Stewardship Initiative.
Andean Condor
Population: 10,000
IUCN Status: Near Threatened Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Mountainous regions up to 16,000 feet in the Andes and Patagonia; coastal areas of western South America
Andean Condors weigh up to 33 pounds, ranking them among the heaviest flying birds. They soar over their namesake mountains in western South America on wingspans of up to 10.5 feet. Unfortunately, their size also makes them a target for sport hunters or ranchers who mistakenly consider the birds a threat to livestock. Condors are also deliberately poisoned, develop lead poisoning from ammunition they consume when scavenging game, and can strike powerlines. To assist the species, ABC helped our partner Fundación Jocotoco acquire a 7,438-acre area in Ecuador, Chakana Reserve. It protects the majority of condors found in that country. Other reserves established by ABC and our partners where condors are present include the Red-fronted Macaw Reserve in Bolivia and the
Reserve Network in Peru.
Andean Condor by AmmitJack, Shutterstock
Vilcanota
Below Ecologist Tjalle Boorsma of Asociación Armonía stands below a nest box at Barba Azul Nature Reserve.
Right A Blue-throated Macaw perches on a nest box. Photos by Wendy Willis
Waved Albatross
Population:
50,000-70,000
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Open ocean for foraging; for nesting, sparse vegetation on lava fields with scattered boulders
Of the 22 albatross species in the world, 15 are threatened with extinction, and one is the Waved Albatross of South America. Most of the roughly 12,000 breeding pairs nest on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago; in addition, a handful of pairs nest on Isla de la Plata, 17 miles off the coast of Ecuador.
Threats include longline fishing, which hooks birds on bait intended for fish, drowning them; climate change, which is warming the ocean where the birds feed; and floating plastic trash, which the birds mistake for food. Since 2008, ABC’s Marine program has focused on several ways to help the albatross. We work with local fishers to reduce accidental bycatch in the fisheries of southwestern Ecuador, and we offer a free web-based tool that helps fisheries avoid accidentally catching seabirds.
Blue-throated Macaw
Population: 350-450
IUCN Status: Critically
Endangered Trend: Increasing Habitat: Wet tropical savannas of northern Bolivia
The Blue-throated Macaw, one of the rarest members of the parrot family, occurs in the wild only in northeastern Bolivia. The cagebird trade and habitat loss reduced its numbers in the 1990s to 110-130 birds. Thankfully, years of conservation work by Asociación Armonía, the World Parrot Trust, Rainforest Trust,
Loro Parque Fundación, the Laney Rickman Blue-throated Macaw Fund, and ABC have helped the species rebound. Trapping of the macaw was outlawed, and in 2008, ABC supported the creation of the Barba Azul Nature Reserve, the first protected area for the species. After several expansions, it’s now more than 27,000 acres in size. And more recently, ABC and our partners acquired a 1,680-acre former cattle ranch that is home to a successful nest box program for the macaw. Recovery efforts have led to a wild population of about 350-450 individuals.
Waved Albatross by Agami Photo Agency, Shutterstock
Blue-throated Macaw by Daniel Alarcon, Armonia
Gray-bellied Comet
Population: 250-1,000
IUCN Status: Endangered Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Semi-arid, shrubby slopes and canyons in northern Peru
A long-tailed, shimmering hummingbird, the Gray-bellied Comet is found in five fragmented populations on the Pacific slope of the Andes in north-central Peru. It lives in arid habitats and is a key pollinator
of desert cacti, shrubs, and trees. Habitat loss and fires are its primary threats. For decades, ABC has supported tree-planting projects that have put 7 million trees in the ground in 15 countries. With our longtime partner in Peru, Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), we’ve planted more than 3 million trees, some of which provide food and habitat for the comet. For example, in 2022, we exceeded 100,000 trees planted for the species in the Río Chonta Valley. Also in 2022, ABC launched our Preventing Bird Extinctions Fund, which earmarks donations to programs that help save species at the top of ABC’s bird conservation framework, including the comet. This special bird deserves our attention in multiple ways, which we’re more than happy to provide.
Short-crested Coquette
Population: 250-1,000
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Mountainous forest in western Mexico
The rare and spectacular Short-crested Coquette inhabits an area of about 44 square miles in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero. The bird, which was declared a full species in the early 1990s, is tiny — less than 3 inches long. And at
fewer than 1,000 individuals, its population is also tiny. It lives in part of the Sierra de Atoyac, which is recognized as an Important Bird Area and an Alliance for Zero Extinction site. ABC has been working on the coquette’s conservation for the last five years, along with the Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero (Autonomous University of Guerrero), local communities, and Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, or CONANP). This year, the partners announced six new protected areas, totaling nearly 22,000 acres, are being established for the bird. The species and its home mountain range have also been the subject of a recent 20-minute documentary and a one-hour ABC webinar, both of which are available on our website.
Gray-bellied Comet by Manuel Roncal-Rabanal
Short-crested Coquette by Anthony Lujan
TINY WONDERS
Hummingbirds’ small size, characteristic rapid wingbeats, spectacular plumage, and various other adaptations have captivated humans for centuries. All 360-plus of the world’s hummingbird species occur in the Western Hemisphere, making the family the perfect symbol for American Bird Conservancy. Unfortunately, more than 50 hummingbird species are threatened, three of which are featured here. A variety of ABC programs help conserve hummingbirds, such as our Cats Indoors and Collisions programs, our partnerships with the Alliance for Zero Extinction and other groups, as well as tree planting and other habitat restoration.
Rufous Hummingbird
Population: 19 million
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Trend: Decreasing
Habitat: Breeds in northwestern U.S. and Canadian forests; winters in Mexican highlands and southeastern U.S.
The Rufous Hummingbird, a familiar bird to North American birders, breeds from southern Alaska south to Oregon and Idaho and winters in the southeastern and southwestern United States and western Mexico. The species makes one of the longest migration journeys among the world’s birds, as measured by body size. The 3-inch-long bird flies roughly 3,900 miles one way from Alaska to Mexico. It also wanders more than most hummingbirds; in the last few years, it has been reported as far east as Newfoundland. The species is still common, but habitat loss, climate change, and other threats prompted the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2018 to reclassify it as Near Threatened. The birds are easy prey for outdoor cats, and they collide with windows and other human-made obstacles. ABC’s Cats Indoors and Glass Collisions programs both offer solutions to these problems.
Right ABC's Dan Lebbin with ECOAN staff at a tree nursery created to support habitat restoration for Graybellied Comet. Photo by Dan Lebbin Far Right A Rufous Hummingbird feeds at a fuchsia flower. Photo by Birdiegal, Shutterstock
Golden-winged Warbler
Population: 410,000
IUCN Status: Near Threatened Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Breeds in forested landscapes interspersed with ample early successional habitats; winters in mid-elevation forests and edge
Conservationists have their work cut out for them with the Golden-winged Warbler. The species has declined more than 61 percent since the 1960s. Its close relative, the Blue-winged Warbler, has been moving into the Golden-wing’s range. This has led to hybridization between the species and declining numbers for the rarer Golden-
wing. Most concerning is the loss of the early-successional forest habitat the Golden-wing needs for successful breeding. Thankfully, ABC and our partners throughout the bird’s range are working on multiple fronts. Through forest management from Minnesota to North Carolina, we’re restoring the bird’s habitat. In the Appalachian region, the ABC-supported Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture is restoring forests on reclaimed mine sites. And we’re working to improve and protect wintering habitat in several places in Latin America, including Nicaragua’s El Jaguar Reserve, a family-run farm that produces shade-grown coffee, which supports Golden-wings and other birds.
Kirtlandʼs Warbler
Population: 4,500
IUCN Status: Near Threatened Trend: Increasing Habitat: Breeds in dense stands of young Jack Pine; winters in scrubby Caribbean habitats
In 2019, nearly 50 years after the Kirtland’s Warbler was listed under the Endangered Species Act, the federal government delisted it thanks to its healthy population and ongoing recovery. Now, the Kirtland’s Warbler Conservation Team, which includes ABC, state and federal agencies,
academics, and other groups, manages the bird for the long term. In the Bahamas, where the species winters, ABC and partners have been studying the bird’s habitat needs. A new paper published this fall by researchers from the U.S. Forest Service, Antioch University New England, and ABC found that the warblers rely on areas rich in certain fruits. As the winter progresses and fruit-laden spots become depleted, the birds move around quite a bit in search of better feeding spots. The study has important lessons for conservation work in the warbler’s wintering islands. This fall, ABC also hosted a webinar about the warbler, which is posted on our YouTube channel.
Golden-winged Warbler by Agami Photo Agency, Shutterstock
Kirtland's Warbler by Agami Photo Agency, Shutterstock
FOREST JEWELS
Wood-warblers are not only some of the most sought-after species by birders. They also face a range of challenges brought about by humans, especially habitat loss. While ABC’s work benefits dozens of warbler species, three that are special focal points are the Kirtland’s, Cerulean, and Golden-winged. Through partnerships with state and federal agencies, landowners, farmers, other nonprofits, academia, and Joint Ventures, we are helping to increase the populations of the Americas’ beloved and colorful warblers.
Below An ABC-supported project, led by Jeff Larkin, ABC's Eastern Forest Bird Habitat Advisor, tagged Golden-winged Warblers on their wintering grounds in El Jaguar Reserve, Nicaragua. Pictured (left to right): researchers Fabiola Rodriguez, Amber Roth, and Kirsten Johnson, who are trained and have proper permits to handle birds.
Left Researchers Cameron Fiss (right) and Moises Siles prepare for a Golden-winged Warbler study at El Jaguar.
Cerulean Warbler
Population: 570,000
IUCN Status: Near Threatened Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Breeds in mature deciduous forest, often close to water; winters in moist montane forests
The beautiful Cerulean Warbler, named for its blue back and head, is among the most threatened migratory songbirds in North America. Its population has plummeted by about 70 percent in the last several decades, which has made recovery of the bird a top priority of ABC’s for many years. The Central Hardwoods and Appalachian Mountain Joint Ventures,
which include ABC, focus on science-based forest management practices to improve breeding habitat for Ceruleans and other birds. Surveys in the breeding range in the last decade show the population’s decline has stabilized, and in some areas, especially in the Appalachians, increases are occurring. We also work in the bird’s wintering region. In 2005, ABC and our Colombian partner Fundación ProAves created the Reinita Cielo Azul, covering about 250 forested acres on the western slope of the Eastern Andes. ProAves and ABC have together protected 42,985 acres of habitat at eight reserves in Colombia where Cerulean Warblers occur, and thousands of acres more at seven other reserves in Guatemala, Ecuador, and Peru.
Photos by Jeff Larkin
Scan to learn more
STARS OF MARSH AND SEA
The birds of oceans, rivers, wetlands, lakes, and streams capture our attention not so much for showy plumage but for their mystery and elusiveness. Observing them often takes time, skill, patience, and luck; that’s especially true of the three species featured here, which are all Endangered. They’re found in different habitats and regions, but they all receive attention from ABC and our partners. We advocate for habitat that they need, work on scientific projects to learn more about their conservation requirements, and work with other organizations to secure better futures for each species.
Black Rail
Population: 25,000
IUCN Status: Endangered Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Fresh, brackish, and salt marshes and wet meadows
Like most rail species, Black Rails are more likely to be heard than seen. Encountering the skulking marsh birds is a delight, but the sad reality is that they are far less common today, and their range, especially along the U.S. Atlantic coast, has constricted significantly. Development in coastal areas has destroyed much Black Rail habitat. Cats, rats, and other mammals prey on the birds while invasive Phragmites reeds overtakes native marsh plants, further reducing habitat. And to make matters worse, the climate crisis is flooding the tidal marshes where the birds live. Much of ABC’s focus on the bird comes through our partnership in the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. In 2020, it published the Black Rail Conservation Plan, which specifies habitat protection and improvement needs for the bird, as well as policy goals. In short, the Joint Venture is restoring the Atlantic Coast population of the Eastern Black Rail in core breeding areas and protecting places where rails can thrive.
Scan to learn more
Black Rail by Agami Photo Agency, Shutterstock
Left A coastal wetland in Massachusetts.
Photo by Kelly Fike, USFWS
Below When Marbled Murrelets are not on the water, they're in old-growth forests such as this one in Oregon. Photo by Zhukova Valentyna, Shutterstock
Marbled Murrelet
Population: 240,000-280,000
IUCN Status: Endangered Trend: Decreasing
Habitat: Breeds in oldgrowth coniferous forests or on the ground; winters at sea
Among seabirds, the Marbled Murrelet’s choice of nesting site is one of the most unusual. In the southern part of its range, it flies as far as 50 miles inland to nest in forests, high in tall trees. (In northern treeless areas, it nests on the ground.) Its rainforest
breeding range, however, put it at risk when loggers began cutting trees in the late 1800s, leading to decades of decline. At sea, the murrelet is imperiled by oil spills and unsustainable fishing practices, and more recently, researchers identified another threat: predation of the murrelet’s eggs and nestlings by jays, crows, and ravens. The corvids are adept at finding garbage left by people visiting parks; sloppy picnicand campsites attract the birds and lead to population increases, which then can increase predation on nearby murrelet nests. The problem can be reduced with cleaner camping and picnic areas, and in 2013, California launched “Crumb Clean,” a program to promote camper education and better ways to dispose of waste. The program has worked well, and in 2022, ABC expanded it into public forests in Oregon. We plan to roll it out soon in Washington as well.
Black-capped Petrel
Population: 2,000-4,000
IUCN Status: Endangered Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Nests in natural crevices or burrows, often on steep slopes in montane forest; spends the rest of its life at sea
The mountains on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which Haiti and the Dominican Republic share, are the only known nesting place of the Black-capped Petrel (Diablotín). Conservationists think the species may breed on one or more other islands, including Dominica, Guadeloupe, Cuba, or Jamaica, but no one yet has found a nest away from Hispaniola. The species, one of the rarest seabirds of the North Atlantic, has been a conservation focus for years. Threats include habitat loss in nesting areas, disorienting lights, invasive predators, and offshore wind turbines. For more than a decade, ABC has been working with partners, primarily Environmental Protection in the Caribbean and Grupo Jaragua, to find, study, and protect petrel nests on Hispaniola. In late 2021, ABC coauthored an updated Conservation Action Plan summarizing the current knowledge of the species and laying out nine key actions required to save it. In addition, ABC has been involved in tracking projects that tagged petrels with lightweight transmitters to learn more about their movements. And we’re working with Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge and other partners to try to attract the birds to potentially nest on Desecheo Island, about 12 miles west of Puerto Rico. Stay tuned.
Marbled Murrelet by Tim Zurowski, Shutterstock
Black-capped Petrel by Brian Patteson
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Black-capped Vireo
Population: 22,000
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Trend: Decreasing
Habitat: Breeds in firemaintained scrub-oak habitats; winters in dry scrub
The Black-capped Vireo, a bird of Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma, is one of the major success stories of the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the vireo as Endangered in 1987 after its population had fallen to about 350 individuals. Habitat loss, fire suppression, and
cowbird parasitism of vireo nests led to the bird’s brush with extinction. Decades of conservation work, however, produced a rebound, and in 2018, the bird was delisted with a population of about 14,000. And by 2023, surveys indicated the population had surpassed 22,000. The species remains a focus of government agencies, ABC, and other conservationists. In recent years, ABC and our partners in the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture have conducted systematic surveys for the bird, most recently at several Texas state parks and natural areas. And for private lands, the Joint Venture encourages habitat improvements through its Grassland Restoration Incentive Program. ABC also assists with preserving thorn-scrub areas in the bird’s Mexican wintering range.
White-throated Sparrow
Population: 160 million
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Forests and edges; in winter, thickets, overgrown fields, parks, and wooded suburbs
The White-throated Sparrow is one of the most familiar and widespread songbirds in North America. Who doesn’t enjoy seeing the cute birds with striped crowns in their yards or hearing their Oh, Sweet Canada, Canada, Canada song in a spring forest? While the population is estimated at 160
million, the sparrow is not immune to the dangers that other species with smaller populations face. The conservation consortium Partners in Flight reported a 29 percent decline for the sparrow between 1970 and 2014. This songbird is one of the most frequent victims of window collisions, according to urban bird-monitoring programs around the U.S. ABC’s Glass Collisions program is working to raise awareness of the problem and offer solutions that will keep even our most common birds safer.
Black-capped Vireo by Agami Photo Agency, Alamy Stock Photo
White-throated Sparrow by Paul Ross
BELOVED SINGERS
In the 1960s, Rachel Carson drew America’s attention to declining songbird populations with her seminal book, Silent Spring. The book helped spark the environmental movement and had an enormous cultural impact. One such effect is that organizations like ABC work to prevent the next silent spring by conserving songbird populations. The birds featured here, for example, benefit from our Collisions program, our work with Joint Ventures, and our Cats Indoors and BirdsPlus programs. Even now, six decades later, Carson’s voice inspires us to act.
Wood Thrush
Population: 12 million
IUCN Status: Least Concern Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Breeds in mature deciduous and mixed forests; winters in tropical lowland and foothill forests
The ethereal song of the Wood Thrush was once a familiar summer sound in eastern U.S. forests, but now its flute-like song is less common. ABC and several of our partner organizations have been working for years to bring the thrush back. More than a decade ago, Partners in Flight (PIF) called attention to the species
when it was added to PIF’s Yellow Watch List of declining birds, noting a 60-percent drop in population between 1970 and 2014. As with most songbirds, cats and glass are major threats; ABC tackles both through our Cats Indoors and Glass Collisions programs. Our partners in the Appalachian Mountains, Central Hardwoods, and other Joint Ventures manage thousands of acres of forests for the thrush’s benefit. And ABC recently launched the BirdsPlus program that helps farmers and ranchers in Latin America implement conservation practices to restore and maintain habitat for Wood Thrush and other migratory songsters.
Wood Thrush by Larry Master, masterimages.org
Forests in the Appalachian Mountains provide critical bird habitat. Photo by Margaret Wiktor, Shutterstock
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Long-billed Curlew
Population: 140,000
IUCN Status: Least Concern Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Breeds in open grasslands; winters in estuaries, wetlands, and grasslands
Market hunting in the 1800s led to the demise of the Eskimo Curlew, and it nearly took its cousin, the Long-billed Curlew, as well. While our largest North American shorebird survived that era, it now confronts
habitat loss and pesticide use as major threats. Thankfully, ABC and our partners have been focused on preserving the curlew and its grassland habitats for many years. Through our BirdScapes approach, 12 focal areas were identified on the North American breeding grounds, where ABC promotes best management practices for the birds. For the last four years, we worked with Pheasants Forever, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and private land managers to enhance grassland habitat for curlews in northwestern South Dakota. In 2022, we began a tracking project with North Dakota Game and Fish and Intermountain Bird Observatory to tag nine curlews on ranches in North and South Dakota. This gave us insights to their migratory routes and wintering areas in Texas and Mexico. We also lead work in the curlew’s winter range, including a land-management project through the Oaks and Prairie Joint Venture’s Grassland Restoration Incentive Program, and in protecting and enhancing 140,000 acres of grasslands in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert with local partner Pronatura Noreste.
Snowy Plover
Population: 38,000
IUCN Status: Near Threatened Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Sandy beaches, salt flats, river sandbars
The diminutive Snowy Plover is found on coastal beaches, salt flats, and the shores of inland alkaline lakes in North America, South America, and the Caribbean. The pale-colored shorebird is threatened by habitat loss along coasts, off-road vehicles,
and predation by cats, dogs, and other mammals. Non-native vegetation and sea-level rise caused by climate change also put plovers at risk. Several states list the species as endangered or threatened, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers the Western Snowy Plover to be threatened. ABC’s Gulf Coast program focuses on protecting Snowy Plovers and other vulnerable beach-nesting birds. Along with the Houston Audubon Society and the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuary Program, we monitor plover populations across the upper and central Texas coast. We educate the public each year about the need to give beach-nesting birds plenty of space. And to address the significant trash problem on Texas beaches and its negative impact on wildlife, we recently partnered with the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and Black Cat GIS to form Stopping Plastics and Litter Along Shorelines (SPLASh), which is creating a cleaner environment in the Houston-Galveston region.
Snowy Plover by Paul St. Clair, Shutterstock
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Red Knot
Population: 139,000 (all North American subspecies); 1 million (worldwide)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened Trend: Decreasing Habitat: Breeds on tundra, islands, and along coastlines in Arctic regions. Winters on tidal flats, rocky shores, and beaches
SHORELINE SENTINELS
Around the world, about 235 species of sandpipers, plovers, oystercatchers, and other shorebirds roam beaches, sandbars, grasslands, freshwater wetlands, and other habitats. Their bills range from short and stubby to long and curved, reflecting the variety of prey they rely on: insects, mollusks, and other small animals of marine and intertidal areas. The Americas are home to more than 85 shorebird species for at least part of their lifecycle, and we profile three on these pages. ABC and our many conservation partners advocate for protecting shorebird habitats in priority BirdScapes, for cleaning up plastics and other litter, and many other shorebird-friendly projects and policies.
The rufous-breasted Red Knot flies more than 9,000 miles from south to north every spring from wintering grounds in southern South America to breeding grounds in the high Arctic before reversing the trip in the autumn. Sadly, the bird’s numbers declined about 75 percent from the 1980s to the 2000s, leading to widespread concern. The overharvest of Horseshoe Crabs, which lay eggs on the beaches that Red Knots and other shorebirds feast on, has been a major factor in the bird’s decline. Coastal development and sea-level rise are other worries. A de-
cade ago, ABC and other conservation groups scored a victory for the knot when our advocacy convinced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the rufa subspecies as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. And in 2023, the agency designated more than 680,000 acres as critical habitat for the subspecies. For decades, ABC and our partners in the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition have called for Horseshoe Crab harvest restrictions in Mid-Atlantic states. And this summer, we celebrated the news that the biomedical industry is adopting an alternative to Horseshoe Crab blood in bacterial endotoxin testing; the move, which will alleviate harvest pressures and conserve Horseshoe Crabs, holds the promise of assisting bird conservation and human health.
Red Knot by Joshua Galicki
Left Red Knots feeding on Horseshoe Crab eggs.
Photo by Larry Master, masterimages.org
Far left A Horseshoe Crab by Ray Hennessy, Shutterstock
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HAWAIIAN HOPEFULS
Hawai‘i holds the sad distinction of being the avian extinction capital of the world. More than 90 native bird species have been lost in the islands since the arrival of humans centuries ago, but hope remains for those that are still with us. ABC and our partners in the 50th state are focused on preserving native honeycreepers, like the ‘I‘iwi; seabirds that breed on the islands, like the Laysan Albatross (Mōlī); and unique endemics found nowhere else in the world, like the Millerbird (Ulūlu).
Laysan Albatross
Population: 2.5 million
IUCN Status: Near
Threatened Trend: Stable
Habitat: Nests on sandy islands, winters over open ocean
The Laysan Albatross (Mōlī) has a large population and inhabits an enormous swath of the Pacific Ocean. Most Laysans breed in the Hawaiian archipelago, mainly on Midway Atoll and Laysan Island, and a small number nest off Japan and the west coast of Mexico. Despite its numbers and its adaptability over Earth’s largest
ocean, the species faces many threats. Laysans consume discarded plastic, and on some of their nesting islands, introduced mammals prey on the birds and their eggs. Like other seabirds, they are caught on the hooks of fishing vessels, and as climate change causes the seas to rise, low-lying islands that albatrosses nest on are at risk of being flooded or even lost. One threat that they no longer face is lead poisoning, thanks in part to the advocacy of ABC’s Marine program. For decades, lead paint had been peeling from the World War II-era buildings on Midway, contaminating the soil and sand — and the young birds that ate the paint chips. In late 2017, after a years-long cleanup project, the island was lead-free. Most recently, the Marine program and its partners built a fenced-in predator-free nesting area on high ground on Moloka‘i Island; as noted in our Summer 2024 issue, Laysans have already been spotted checking out the new preserve.
Laysan Albatross by Dmytro Pylypenko, Shutterstock
Above ABC and other groups released Millerbirds on Laysan Island in 2011 and 2012.
Right A new conservation fence is in place along this stretch of shoreline on Moloka‘i Island, Hawai‘i. Photo by Butch Haase
The stunning ‘I‘iwi (pronounced “eeEE-vee”), once one of the Hawaiian Islands’ most common forest birds, now hangs on in higher-altitude forests (4,300 to 6,200 feet) on Maui and Hawai‘i, with only occasional
detections on Kaua‘i. Its decline (like those of other Hawaiian songbirds, many of which are extinct) is due to habitat loss; mosquito-borne disease; a dieback of ‘ōhi‘a trees, which are important food sources for ‘I‘iwi; and nonnative predators, including cats, rats, and mongooses. ABC’s Hawai‘i program has worked for years with partner organizations in the state to protect and manage habitats, plant trees, control predators, and more. Most recently, we’ve joined forces with 14 state, federal, private, and nonprofit partners on the Birds, Not Mosquitoes project (see page 10). It’s aimed at reducing Hawai‘i’s mosquito population in hopes of decreasing the major threat of avian malaria.
Millerbird
Population: 1,800
IUCN Status: Endangered Trend: Stable Habitat: Dense, shrubby cover near the ground
The story of the Millerbird (Ulūlu) is one of ABC’s great successes. Until about 100 years ago, the small, drab Old World reed warbler was found only on the islands of Laysan and Nihoa in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Around 1923, it went extinct on Laysan. Then in 2007,
several organizations, including ABC, began to work on a plan to return the then-Critically Endangered species to Laysan. The idea was to move some Millerbirds to Laysan, about 650 miles northwest of Nihoa. After a few years of planning, ABC and our partners in government agencies, academia, and other conservation groups moved a total of 50 birds in 2011 and 2012. At last count, the populations on both islands are doing well: about 1,200 on Nihoa and about 600 on Laysan. Last year, the bird was downlisted to Endangered. Read the Millerbird’s full story in our Spring 2024 issue.
We are deeply grateful to all of the many supporters who have ensured a future for these 30 special bird species. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Millerbird by Robby Kohley
Give a Gift that Gives Back to Birds
Thank you for supporting American Bird Conservancy by being a Member! For the upcoming holiday season, we’d like to suggest a few ways that you can show even more love for our mission of conserving birds and their habitats.
ABC Gift Membership
Do you have friends or family who love birds and nature? Give them an ABC Membership! When you give an ABC Gift Membership of $40 or more, or renew an existing gift membership, we will send a copy of our award-winning hardcover coffee-table book, Bringing Back the Birds, to your recipient.
Order gift memberships by Dec. 4, to ensure delivery by Christmas. abcbirds.org/gift
Member Discounts
ABC Members can receive exclusive discounts on Smithsonian-certified Bird Friendly® coffee and three recently published books that discuss ABC’s work.
Order delicious coffee that supports bird habitat from birdsandbeanscoffee. com and use code ABC15 for 15% off !
ABC is the sponsor of Birds of North America: A Photographic Atlas by Bruce M. Beehler. Order from Johns Hopkins University Press (press.jhu.edu) to receive a 30% discount. Use code HBIRDS24 at checkout.
The new Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada by Lillian Stokes and Matthew A. Young covers more than 40 finch species. Order from hachettebookgroup.com by December 31 and use code FINCHES for 20% off.
The recently published Birding for Boomers offers tips for enjoying birdwatching, especially geared toward late-blooming birders. Order from mountaineersbooks.org by January 31 and use code BIRDCONSERVATION for 25% off.
Above Tennessee Warbler by Owen Deutsch, owendeutsch.com
Inset Our 2019 book Bringing Back the Birds features photography by Owen Deutsch and a foreword by Jonathan Franzen
Make the Next 30 Years Better for Birds!
In this issue of Bird Conservation, we reflect on 30 years of ABC’s results for birds, including protecting habitat benefiting more than 3,000 bird species!
Many of those results have been made possible by generous gifts from ABC Legacy Circle members — our supporters who make commitments to provide a better future for birds by including ABC in their estate plans. Their estate gifts have allowed ABC to take on conservation projects we otherwise would not have been able to tackle, transforming bird conservation across the Western Hemisphere.
Will you help make the next 30 years of bird conservation success possible and create your own legacy for birds by including ABC in your will or as a beneficiary of your trust, IRA, or insurance plan?
If you are interested in more information on how to leave your own legacy for birds, or if you have already remembered ABC in your estate plans, please contact Jack Morrison, ABC Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving, at jmorrison@abcbirds.org or 540-253-5780.
American White Pelican flock by Tommy Brison, Shutterstock
