Policies
The USFWS Migratory Bird Program has the legal mandate and the trust responsibility to maintain and enhance migratory bird populations and habitats for the continued enjoyment of the American public. We are authorized by more than 25 primary conventions, treaties, and laws, many of which have authorities that extend beyond the borders of the United States, to ensure the conservation of more than 1000 species of migratory birds. The Migratory Bird Program leads policy development, strategic planning, program implementation, and evaluation of actions designed to conserve migratory birds and their habitats.
Our five areas of responsibility include:
- Population monitoring, assessment, and management
- Habitat conservation
- Permits and regulations
- Consultation, cooperation, and communication
- Recreation
We collaborate with other Federal agencies, States, tribes, and non-governmental organizations to manage migratory bird species using partnerships that deliver local, regional, national, and international management plans that conserve habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Cooperative efforts include the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) and its associated joint ventures, and Partners in Flight. These plans are all components of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI), an effort to align the avian conservation community to implement bird conservation through regionally based, biologically driven, landscape-oriented partnerships across the North American continent, including Canada and Mexico.