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Migratory Bird Program

The Migratory Bird Program leads bird conservation through initiatives such as:

• Partners in Flight, a large-scale cooperative effort that developed and implements
• the North American Landbird Conservation Plan;
• the North American Waterbird Conservation Initiative and Plan;
• the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, Council and associated shorebird partnerships and coordination efforts;
• the North American Waterfowl Management Plan

The Migratory Bird Program works to promote and achieve successful bird conservation through close intra-agency coordination; building partnerships with other federal and state agencies, tribes, and private individuals; building connections with bird conservation entities in other Western Hemisphere nations; and through large-scale cooperative partnerships and efforts such as the Western Hummingbird Partnership, Joint Ventures, and the initiatives listed above.

It is estimated that over 600 (70%) of the 882 species of native landbirds that breed in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico glean flowers for insects and, thus, may occasionally pollinate. About 43% of these species are migratory, highlighting the critical need for international conservation.