Partners in Flight

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Partners in Flight (PIF) focuses on the conservation of land bird species – both by protecting species in decline and by keeping common birds common. The central premise of PIF has been that the resources of public and private organizations in the Western Hemisphere must be combined, coordinated, and increased in order to achieve success in conserving bird populations in this hemisphere.

PIF is a cooperative effort involving federal, state, and local government agencies, philanthropic foundations, professional organizations, conservation groups (such as land trusts), industry, the academic community, and private individuals. All meetings at all levels are open to anyone interested in bird conservation, as they eagerly seek your collaboration and contribution.

What can Partners in Flight offer land trusts?

The PIF website has a wealth of free resources for bird conservation. Surf the site yourself, or go directly to the resources below that we’ve identified for land trusts.

  • Conservation Plans

    PIF promotes a proactive and science-based planning approach that sets priorities and objectives for landbird conservation at regional and continental scales. The continental Landbird Conservation Plan identifies regional “stewardship species” that are most important for land trusts to focus on within a given region. These priorities can be used by land trusts in their planning, or to justify grants, easements, or acquisitions.

  • Species Assessment Database

    PIF’s impressive database of land bird species’ conservation status and needs can be sorted by Bird Conservation Region, which will be most useful to land trusts. On the main page, click on the 2012 update. In the database, click on “BCR Breeding List” and then “Select a BCR”. On the map the opens up, locate the BCR that overlaps with your land trust’s service area. Then you can find scores for species in your area. Knowing the priority levels of the species can help you determine what priority species you might focus your efforts on for protection or management.

  • Best Management Practices

    PIF has compiled a list of best management practices by ecosystem and issue. Land trusts can apply these BMPs on their fee-owned lands, or provide them to interested land trust members or land owners with conservation easements. Visit the Management Guides (link to this tab) section under this Resource directory for a comprehensive list.

  • Get Involved in PIF

    If you’re really interested in bird conservation, you (and PIF) could benefit from your involvement in the partnership. There are many committees and regional working groups in which to participate. Get in touch with the contact person to find out more.