Bird conservation groups use data from birdwatchers to fill critical information gaps for declining species

A new study published in the journal Ornithological Applications shows how conservation organizations are using data from birdwatchers to pinpoint opportunities to reverse population declines. 

The study, led by researchers from nine different Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (cooperative, regional partnerships of federal and state agencies, Tribes, and non-governmental organizations who work together to support avian conservation), presents case studies demonstrating how conservation organizations use data from birdwatchers to select priority species, manage habitat for waterfowl, identify important bird areas, and monitor populations at regional scales.

The study used data from eBird, a participatory science project run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which collects billions of observations from birdwatchers around the world into a centralized database.

"eBird data products help fill important data gaps and have been instrumental in supporting conservation planning across many Joint Ventures," said Laura Farwell, lead author of the study and conservation and science coordinator at Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture. "It's been a game-changer for us and we hope that others find these examples useful for their own conservation planning."

For coastal bird conservation, Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture used eBird data to quantify regional stewardship responsibility, discovering that 99% of the Marbled Murrelet population occurs within their continental region (Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and northern California) year-round. This information helps reinforce the area's importance for a federally listed species. eBird data also highlighted several species (like Long-billed Dowitcher and Short-billed Gull) that are found in high numbers within the region that were previously overlooked.

"This work is a great example of how the information collected by community scientists can help conservation practitioners help declining bird populations. It’s a win-win,” said Monica Iglecia, director and U.S. coordinator for Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture and co-author of the study.

The Gulf Coast Joint Venture used eBird data to translate a continent-wide waterfowl plan into a regional plan to support duck populations. To create regional plans, managers needed estimates of duck numbers and their distributions for the entire year—during the breeding season, migration, and the nonbreeding season. According to Joe Lancaster, biological team leader for the Gulf Coast Joint Venture and study co-author, that kind of year-round data is hard to find. “We’ve historically relied on aerial waterfowl surveys from state and federal partners, but for various reasons aerial surveys are conducted less frequently and cover less area now, which limits our ability to develop up-to-date migration chronologies we need across our region,” said Lancaster, “so we started exploring using eBird data.” The year-round estimates of abundance provided by eBird allowed the Gulf Coast Joint Venture to produce estimates of seasonal energetic needs for waterfowl populations.

The study also demonstrates how conservation groups identify priority areas by mapping important areas for birds. The Rio Grande Joint Venture that covers southern Texas and northern Mexico, discovered that while 72% of important habitat for three declining grassland species (Chestnut-collared Longspur, Baird’s Sparrow, and Sprague’s Pipit) fell within existing conservation areas, 28% occurred outside these boundaries, revealing new opportunities for habitat management.

"The maps from eBird status data products are a really compelling tool that helps us work with landowners and partners to promote conservation actions in areas that have been identified to support priority species in steep decline," said Rebekah Rylander, science coordinator at the Rio Grande Joint Venture and co-author of the study.

In the Appalachian Mountains, the Joint Venture team discovered that Eastern Whip-poor-wills, a species of conservation concern, were increasing within the core of the Appalachian Mountains but declining elsewhere, highlighting the area's increasing conservation importance.

"eBird data products can start informing how and where we are prioritizing research and monitoring efforts on a local and regional scale, which is unprecedented in a huge, largely rural geography like the Appalachian Mountains," said Ashley Peele, science integration coordinator at Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture and co-author of the study.

The research also addresses a persistent challenge in bird conservation: the lack of comprehensive, up-to-date information on where birds occur, how abundant they are, and how their populations change over time. Traditional monitoring programs are often constrained by funding and resources to conduct surveys throughout the year across regions of interest, limiting the ability of land managers to make informed decisions about where and when to focus limited resources.

“Data may not be the solution to all conservation challenges, but the absence of it has long been one of the greatest barriers to progress. For too long, conservation decisions have been constrained by the lack of timely, comprehensive information,” said Jenny Muñoz, science coordinator for Canadian Intermountain Joint Venture and Pacific Birds-Canada, and co-author of the study. “Now, through collaboration between conservation organizations and academic institutions, and the integration of participatory science, we have the ability to close some of those critical gaps,” said Muñoz. 

The research demonstrates how freely available data can complement traditional monitoring programs to support more effective, targeted conservation planning. Joint Ventures now use these tools to coordinate planning across political boundaries and engage partners with compelling, evidence-based cases for conservation action.

Editors
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