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The Pacific Region
and the CNO host a vast array of migratory birds simply due to an incredible variety of habitats,
from oceans to deserts, isolated alpine meadows to tropical islands. Within the
continental United States, approximately 620 species of migratory birds occur regularly within our region. In
addition, approximately 200 species occur in Hawaii, the U.S. territories and
commonwealth in the Pacific Islands. Our area supports 10 out of 29
important shorebird staging areas (resting and fueling areas for migrant
shorebirds) in the United States including three of hemispheric and three of international
significance. Our mainland
mountains, valleys, deserts, and river corridors are home to a tremendous
diversity of landbirds, some of which occur only in the Pacific Region and CNO such as the
Yellow-billed Magpie and White-headed Woodpecker. Hawaii and the other
Pacific Islands have their own unique suites of species found nowhere else in
the world, such as the brightly-colored Honeycreepers.
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We
provide leadership in migratory bird
conservation in the Pacific Region and CNO by providing implementation support to many
partnership efforts including the Pacific Flyway
Council, North American
Waterfowl Management Plan and associated Joint Ventures, Partners in Flight, Shorebird Conservation Plan, Colonial Waterbird
Plan, and the North American Bird Conservation Initiative. We also issue permits for scientific collecting and other
educational uses of birds under the auspices of the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act.
Our region falls within the Pacific
Flyway, a major
migration route for waterfowl in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In
the early 30's, waterfowl
biologists used band returns and other information dating back to the early
1900's to help identify primary waterfowl migration routes, such as the Pacific
Flyway, which link breeding grounds in the north to more southerly wintering
areas.
In partnership with
the Pacific
Flyway Council, a consortium of state wildlife agencies, we work with the States
to meet migratory gamebird population goals established
within Pacific Flyway Management Plans and to set hunting regulations based on
data from waterfowl surveys and other available sources of information on
migratory game bird populations.
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