Mountain-Prairie Region

PHOT CREDIT: FWS

Migratory Birds in Nebraska

The mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Migratory Bird Program is to conserve migratory bird populations and their habitats for future generations, through careful monitoring, effective management, and by supporting national and international partnerships that conserve habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Click here for more information on the program.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has the primary responsibility for administration of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918), its amendments, and subsequent acts. All migratory birds are listed as trust species and require USFWS to manage these species. However, the list of species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) are a subset of the trust species, and can be found at: http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/. For a list and guide to the laws and treaties of the United States that protect Migratory Birds click here.

Avian Collisions at Communication Towers: Construction of new communications towers (including radio, television, cellular, and microwave) creates a potentially significant impact on migratory birds, especially some 350 species of night-migrating birds. Communications towers have been estimated to kill 4-5 million birds per year. The Service has developed interim guidelines, using the best available data, for avoiding bird strikes at communication towers.

 

State of the Birds 2014 Report Released

This fifth State of the Birds report, The State of the Birds 2014 — the most comprehensive review of long - term trend data for U.S. birds ever conduc ted. The authors call the results unsettling. The report finds bird populations declining across several key habitats, and it includes a "watch list" of bird species in need of immediate conservation help. The report also reveals, however, that in areas wh ere a strong conservation investment has been made, bird populations are recovering. For more information visit: www.stateofthebirds.org

Wind Energy: Advances in wind turbines technologies and increased interest in renewable energy sources have resulted in rapid expansion of the wind energy industry in the United States. For more information visit:

Wind Power Development in Nebraska or USFWS Wind Energy

Raptors: Raptors as a group are considered migratory birds. As such, they are protected through federal and state laws and regulations. Raptors cannot be possessed, taken, sold or purchased. Permits for the possession of raptors exist for some practices. For more information on raptors.

Other nformation on MBTA and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act can be found at http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/mbpermits.html. || Q&A related to permits

For a list of Birds of Conservation Concern click here or visit http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/CurrentBirdIssues/Management/BCC.html. The 2008 Birds of Concenrvation Concenrn lists are presented in 46 separate tables, comprising 37 BCR lists (Tables 2 to 38), 8 USFWS Region lists (Tables 39 to 47) and 1 National list (Table 48).  Summaries of the status of each species at each of the three distinct geographic scales are provided in Appendix B, and a list of scientific names of all species mentioned is found in Appendix C.  The number of priority species represents roughly 10 to 15 percent of all bird species of any given geographic unit. 

For more information and to learn about the birds that visit Nebraska go to the Nebraska Bird Partnership and the Nebraska Bird Library web pages.