Northeast Bird Habitat Conservation Initiative
Collaborative Overview
The Northeast Bird Habitat Conservation Initiative (NBHCI) helps Regional Conservation Partnerships (RCPs) connect with bird conservation in ways that advance and expand their partnerships and ecological priorities throughout their networks in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Working together to improve, conserve, and manage priority habitats through projects that support declining populations of target bird species in forests and farmlands of the region, the NBHCI provides training with eBird and other bird tools, hosts educational events, and secures funding for bird-focused management projects. The NBHCI team also developed an interactive mapping tool to help partners use bird data overlayed with strategic land conservation layers to support activities such as habitat management planning, land prioritization and acquisition strategies, and landowner and community engagement.
Program Outcomes
- Developed Northeast U.S. (NBHCI) Priority Breeding Bird Mapping Tool showcasing eBird Status abundance data in 13 states for 43 bird species across five habitat types
- Supported bird-friendly practices: forest management recommendations on 1,770 acres and habitat management on 4,000+ grassland acres and 45 acres of forest
- Awarded eight eBird mini grants to help build an ambassador network promoting the effectiveness of eBird for conservation, monitoring, and community engagement
- Hosted 10+ webinars, 16+ workshops/meetings, and developing an eBird train-the-trainer curriculum
Focal Species
Eastern Meadowlark
Wood Thrush
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Northern Bobwhite
American Kestrel
Cerulean Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
White-throated Sparrow
Contacts and Resources
NBHCI Co-coordinator
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
NBHCI Co-coordinator
Highstead
Partners in Conservation
| Conservation Organizations | Bird-focused Organizations |
|---|---|
| Highstead | Cornell Lab |
| Regional Conservation Partnership Network | Audubon |
| Land trusts and conservation organizations across the Northeast |
Goals
1) Raise collective knowledge and consciousness about the importance of birds within RCPs, and create awareness of how bird conservation can help advance regional priorities and assist with private land planning and protection.
2) Support and encourage RCP members and partners to adopt eBird as a tool for monitoring, decision-making, and engaging their communities.
3) Improve, conserve, and manage priority habitats through projects that support declining populations of target bird species in forests and farmlands of New England and the Mid-Atlantic.
Background
Please visit the NBHCI Resource Hub for an archive of meetings, webinars, and presentations, along with more information about funding and the Northeast U.S. (NBHCI) Priority Breeding Bird Mapping Tool.
Support for NBHCI
| Year | Grant Track |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Sarah K. deCoizart Perpetual Charitable Trust grant |
| 2021 | USDA NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program grant |
| 2023 | Sarah K. deCoizart Perpetual Charitable Trust grant |
| 2024 | Top Family Foundation grant |
| 2025 | Park Foundation grant & anonymous foundation grant |
