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At a Glance

2008

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Applications deadline will be announced in August.

Since 2002, more than $46.5 million in grants.

Grants have supported 422 projects in more than 35 countries.

Partners have contributed an additional $178.5 million.

More than 3.25 million acres of habitat affected.

Funding for the following 37 projects was approved in March 2008. A total of $4.43 million in funding was approved with project partners contributing $14.2 million in matching funds and $192,700 in nonmatching funds to affect 96,620 acres of habitat. This information is accurate as of the date of approval. For further information about specific grant projects, please contact the grantee listed in individual project summaries. U.S. Projects, U.S. - International Projects, International Projects.

U.S. Projects

COLORADO, MONTANA
Project: Factors Influencing Rangewide Survival of Mountain Plover Chicks.
Location: Private lands across the central and southeastern plains of Colorado, and the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and Bureau of Land Management lands, Montana.
Congressional District: CO 4; MT At Large.
Grantee: Colorado Division of Wildlife.
Contact: Victoria J. Dreitz, Ph.D., Victoria.Dreitz@state.co.us.
Partners: Iowa State University; Colorado State University.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $103,320.
Matching Funds: $621,870.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 17 and 18.
Ecoregion: NA0811 and NA0815.		 The mountain plover is a Neotropical avian species that has experienced steep, constant declines in population size across its range since 1966.  The decline in the population of mountain plovers has prompted conservation agencies to assess the spatial extent of the declines and potential contributing factors.  Partners in this project will conduct a rangewide research study investigating the factors influencing the survival of plover chicks to provide insight into the relative role breeding locale has on overall reproduction.
MASSACHUSETTS
Project: Roseate Tern Resighting: Breeding Season and Post-breeding Movements and Habitat Use.
Location: Buzzards Bay, Nantucket Sound and Plymouth Bay, Massachusetts.
Congressional District: 10.
Grantee: Massachusetts Audubon Society.
Contact: Rebecca Harris, bharris@massaudubon.org.
Partners: Island Foundation and Kohlberg Foundation.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $38,000.
Matching Funds: $114,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Atlantic.
BCR: 30.
Ecoregion: NA0411 and NA0504.		 In recent years, roseate terns throughout the Atlantic region have declined, the reasons for which are not entirely clear. About 50 percent of the northeastern North American population of roseate terns nests in Buzzards Bay, and this area, with nearby Nantucket Sound, provides important foraging habitat for this endangered species. With exhaustive, systematic resighting efforts, project partners hope to gain a more complete picture of this species’ movement patterns and habitat use, particularly important information in light of proposed wind farm developments in Buzzards Bay and Nantucket Sound.   This project will enable Mass Audubon to expand coordinated counts and resighting efforts to gain a better picture of how frequently and how many roseate terns cross different areas, and add to its understanding of how terns move offshore, by systematically surveying flocks for arrival and departure directions, and for flight heights.  This project is being undertaken within the context of a larger research project to assess the impact of offshore wind farms on migratory bird species.
MONTANA
Project: Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Easement Project.
Location: Teton and/or Lewis and Clark Counties, Montana.
Congressional District: 1.
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy.
Contact: Dave Carr, dcarr@tnc.org.
Partners: None.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $250.000.
Matching Funds: $750.000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 10.
Ecoregion: NA0808 and NA011.		 The Rocky Mountain Front hosts a diverse mosaic of habitats, including glaciated wetlands, riparian corridors, mixed-grass prairie and coniferous forests.  Its grasslands represent some of the largest unfragmented mixed-grass prairie in the northern breeding range of several declining grassland birds, and offer outstanding willow and cottonwood dominated riparian communities.  The Nature Conservancy of Montana will acquire at least 814 acres of high priority grassland and riparian habitat for Neotropical migratory birds on Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front.  Property to be protected with this grant harbors riparian habitat interspersed with mixed-grass prairie, critical to three declining grassland birds – long-billed curlew, McCown’s longspur and Sprague’s pipit – three of the most frequent and abundant of grassland species found during avian surveys.
PUERTO RICO
Project: Protecting Neotropical migrants from invasive species on Desecheo Island.
Location: Desecheo, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Congressional District: At Large.
Grantee: Island Conservation.
Contact: Brad Keitt, brad.keitt@IslandConservation.org.
Partners: Beneficia Foundation; David & Lucile Packard Foundation; National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; private individuals; Weeden Foundation; Wildlife Conservation Society.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $250,000.
Matching Funds: $750,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Atlantic.
BCR: 69.
Ecoregion: NT0155 and NT0226.		 Marine islands are critical breeding, wintering and stopover sites for Neotropical migratory birds. A primary threat to island ecosystems is the introduction of non-native species that can devastate these islands through predation, competition, and overgrazing. Fortunately, introduced species can be removed from islands, leading to dramatic recoveries of migratory birds and other native species. The Caribbean is the most important wintering ground for a number of North American species such as the declining Cape May warbler, northern parula, black-throated blue warbler, palm warbler and prairie warbler. It is also the only wintering ground for globally threatened migrants such as Kirtland’s warbler, Bicknell’s thrush and Bachman’s warbler. Island Conservation will protect and restore habitat for Neotropical migrants through an invasive species removal project on Desecheo Island, which is part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
WISCONSIN
Project: Birds Without Borders – Aves Sin Fronteras®.
Location: Pewaukee, Rosendale and Land O’Lakes, Wisconsin.
Congressional District: 5,6, and 8.
Grantee: Zoological Society of Milwaukee.
Contact: Victoria D. Piaskowski, vickip@zoosociety.org.
Partners: Numerous.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $14,708.
Matching Funds: $44,124.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Mississippi.
BCR: 12 and 23.
Ecoregion: NA0415 and NA0416.		 Birds Without Borders – Aves Sin Fronteras® is a research, education and conservation project of the Zoological Society of Milwaukee and Foundation for Wildlife Conservation, Inc., that began in 1996 to determine how human-made habitat changes affect the breeding success and survival of Neotropical migratory and resident birds in Wisconsin and Belize. Research shows that some Neotropical migratory bird populations have been decreasing since 1978, most likely due to dramatic changes in the habitats of their wintering grounds south of the U.S. border, their summer breeding grounds in North America and their migration stopover sites. In Wisconsin, research focused on use of migration stopover sites and reproductive success of both migratory and resident bird species. In Belize, research focused on habitats important to Neotropical migratory and resident birds during the non-breeding season and the breeding success of resident birds.  Using grant funds, Birds Without Borders – Aves Sin Fronteras® will educate landowners, decision makers, the scientific community, state and federal conservation agency staff and the public in Wisconsin, the Midwest and the eastern United States on the types of habitats needed by Neotropical migratory and resident birds and how lands can be managed and preserved for the benefit of birds.

U.S. - International Projects

Alaska—CANADA, CHILE
Project: The Migratory Connectivity of Hudsonian Godwits.
Location: Alaska; Manitoba, Canada; and Region X, Chile.
Congressional District: AK 1; NY 22.
Grantee: Cornell University, Laboratory of Ornithology.
Contact: Linda Griswold, lag13@cornell.edu.
Partners: PRBO Conservation Science.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $17,666.
Matching Funds: $53,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Atlantic.
BCR: 4 and 7.
Ecoregion: NA0603 and NT0616.		 Hudsonian godwits are large, charismatic shorebirds that migrate from southern South America to breeding areas in Arctic and sub-arctic Alaska and Canada. They were identified as a species of high conservation concern by the U.S. Shorebird Plan because of their small population size, limited breeding distribution and threats to their non-breeding range.  Project researchers will use satellite telemetry and breeding season studies to identify important sites and habitats for Hudsonian godwits and document the effects of climate change on the timing of the godwit’s annual cycle.  Researchers will also extend Hudsonian godwit research and conservation efforts throughout their entire range.
Alaska, California, Florida, Kansas, Puerto Rico, South Carolina—CANADA, ECUADOR, MEXICO, PANAMA
Project: Using Intrinsic Markers to Aid Migratory Bird Conservation.
Location: Alaska, British Columbia, California, Kansas, Florida, South Carolina, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Panama, Ecuador.
Congressional District: CA 7, 8, 9, 12, 13; FL 14; KS 1; SC 1.
Grantee: Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada.
Contact: Dr. David B. Lank, dlank@sfu.ca.
Partners: Simon Fraser University; University of Guelph; Univ. of British Columbia; Queen’s University; ICMRI- UNAM; Environment Canada; UABCS; PRBO Conservation Science; ECFC-UC.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $99,402.
Matching Funds: $326,828.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: .
BCR: 2, 5, 19, 31, 32, 42, 43, and 44.
Ecoregion: NA0524, NA0803, NA1107, NA1202, NA1402, NT1403, NT1404, and NT1405.		 Management of migratory populations requires knowledge of the connectivity among breeding, migration and non-breeding areas.  Biologists will develop novel methods for determining movement patterns of migratory birds between areas, using intrinsic biological, physical and biochemical markers. They will develop statistical methodology for determining the probabilities that individual birds moved from one area to another, and integrate connectivity information into demographic population models.  Our flyway approach will enable better prioritization of habitat conservation options for the management of this and other shorebird species and groups of migratory birds.
Colorado—MEXICO
Project: U.S.-Mexico Grassland Bird Conservation, Phase VI.
Location: Colorado and Chihuahua, Sonora, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Durango, Zacatecas, and San Luís Potosí, Mexico.
Congressional District: 4.
Grantee: Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.
Contact: Arvind Panjabi, (970) 482-1707, Arvind.panjabi@rmbo.org.
Partners: City of Fort Collins Natural Resources Department, The Nature Conservancy, and USFS International Program.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $249,993.
Matching Funds: $750,000.
Nonmatching Funds: $119,960.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 18, 34 and 35.
Ecoregion: NA0815 and NA1303.		 This project will continue work funded by the NMBCA since 2002 to conserve high-priority and declining grassland bird species of western North America.  Specifically, strategies include: years three and four of a regional wintering grassland bird research and monitoring program in the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico to inform conservation strategies and management for at least 28 high priority grassland bird species; outreach and education to train grassland bird biologists  and provide management tools for livestock producers, range managers, and conservationists to enhance habitats for grassland birds; protection of 1,150 acres of shortgrass prairie in a large conservation area in northern Colorado that supports at least 16 high-priority grassland bird species; and research and monitoring in this same region to inform habitat protection and management for mountain plovers, burrowing owls, long-billed curlews and other priority prairie birds.
NEOTROPICAL REGION
Project: Sharing Information about Migratory Bird Species Conservation in the Americas.
Location: Neotropics-wide.
Grantee: Rainforest Alliance.
Contact: Melissa Krenke, mkrenke@ra.org.
Partners: Interamerican Development Bank; Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund.
Funding Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $52,500.
Matching Funds: $157,500.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: All throughout United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.		 The Eco-Index (www.eco-index.org) aims to create a cohesive network of biodiversity conservationists in the Americas by providing a vehicle for them to share the tools and resources they need to make wise management decisions.  Online since 2001, the Eco-Index features more than 1,000 projects managed by more than 700 nongovernment and government organizations and research institutions from throughout the Americas.  In June 2007, the Rainforest Alliance launched a redesigned and expanded Eco-Index that has the capability to include biodiversity conservation projects from the United States and Canada, making it a truly hemispheric initiative.  Using grant and matching funds, the Rainforest Alliance will include other grantees in the United States and Canada in the Eco-Index and the Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative Pathway; update the NMBCA projects currently available on the Eco-Index; contact all 2008 and 2009 NMBCA grantees to invite their participation in the Eco-Index; create and send to grantees a bi-monthly, bilingual email newsletter featuring new migratory bird-related content on the Eco-Index; organize online discussions about select topics related to migratory bird conservation; and publish in-depth articles about NMBCA-funded projects in the popular Eco-Exchange newsletter.
New Mexico—MEXICO
Project: Improving the Ecological Connectivity of the Grassland in Chihuahua, and New Mexico.
Location: Janos, Chihuahua, Mèxico, and Animas, New Mexico.
Congressional District: 2.
Grantee: Pronatura Noreste A.C..
Contact: Dr. Miguel Ángel Cruz Nieto, mcruz@pronaturane.org.
Partners: .
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $249,993.
Matching Funds: $750,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: .
BCR: .
Ecoregion: NA1303.		 More than 98 percent of grasslands where black-tail prairie dogs are found have disappeared, and numerous populations of birds associated with this habitat have therefore critically decreased.  This project is directed at habitat protection and management for massive bird concentrations that winter in western Chihuahua and south of New Mexico.  Grant and matching funds will be used to create a “Forage Bank” that will ensure ecological easements for critical habitats, use fire as a critical component to maintain the health of grassland ecosystems, rehabilitate important habitats for wildlife, harvest water for grassland and riverine areas restoration, and improve water quality. It would create the first Forage Bank for Mexico. The project will benefit more than 250 grassland bird species such as ferruginous hawk, mountain plover, long-billed curlew and burrowing owl.
U.S.—CANADA,MEXICO
Project: Sister Sites for Piping Plover Conservation and other Shorebirds in Nesting and Wintering areas of North America.
Location: Laguna Madre, México, Northern Planes/Prairie Pothole Region of the U.S. and Canada.
Congressional District: .
Grantee: Pronatura Noreste A.C.
Contact: Alfonso Banda Valdez, abanda@pronaturane.org.
Partners: PNE; CONAFOR; UNL, Sister Sites in U.S. and Canada.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $92,100.
Matching Funds: $277,050.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: .
BCR: 11, 36, and 37.
Ecoregion: NA0701, NA0804, and NA0811.		 The piping plover is listed as endangered (Great Lakes) and threatened (Atlantic Coast and Northern Great Plains) in the United States and endangered in Canada and Mexico.  The goals of this project are to protect at least 10,000 hectares in conservation easements on federal and private lands where the piping plover and other shorebirds winter; implement a management plan for these conservation sites; and join with groups from the United States and Canada to make piping plover conservation programs more effective.  Activities will include monitoring the wintering population of piping plovers and other shorebirds and collecting ecological data; implementing environmental education in fisheries communities close to the wintering areas; and producing and exchanging scientific information about the piping plover in the United States and Canada and ecological information about the habitat of the piping plover.

International Projects

ARGENTINA
Project: Artificial Lakes in Central Argentina: Importance for Migratory Waterbird Conservation.
Location: Chaco, Córdoba, Salta and Santiago del Estero Provinces, Argentina.
Grantee: Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.
Contact: Enrique H. Bucher, buchereh@uolsinectis.com.ar.
Partners: Universidad de Córdoba; Universidad Nacional de Chilecito; Universidad Nacional de Tucumán.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $50,940.
Matching Funds: $154,326.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0210 and NT0802.		 In the semi-arid regions of central Argentina, wetlands are disappearing at an increasing rate, due to water appropriation mostly for agricultural and domestic use and construction of additional dams that regulate river flow, preventing periodic flooding that generates wetlands.  This project includes research, protection and management of migratory waterbird populations, focusing on incorporating artificial reservoirs and wetlands in the regional network of protected habitats in central Argentina. Activities will include a rapid survey of the reservoirs existing in central Argentina and habitat quality and migrant bird use; development of general criteria for the management of bird populations in reservoirs and specific recommendations for sites of key importance; and extension and education activities, mainly in connection with government and private agencies in charge of the reservoirs’ management. The selected area extends over about 40,000 square kilometers of the Chaco and Monte ecoregions.
ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY
Project: Strengthening the Alliance: Conservation of Key Sites for Grassland Migrants.
Location: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Southern Brazil.
Grantee: BirdLife International (on behalf of the BirdLife Partnership).
Contact: Rob Clay, rob.clay@birdlife.org.
Partners: BirdLife International; Aves Argentinas; Aves Uruguay; SAVE Brasil; Guyra Paraguay; RSPB.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $208,300.
Matching Funds: $782,385.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0710, NT0803, NT0802, and NT0909.		 The temperate grasslands of southern South America originally encompassed more than a million square kilometers, comprising one of the richest grazing areas in the world but also one of the most important grasslands for biodiversity conservation. Only a tiny percentage of this habitat remains in a natural state, and is increasingly threatened. This project focuses on the consolidating existing--and developing new--best management practices at seven key sites within the four Southern Cone grassland countries. The project will also seek to develop broad public support for “conserving-while-producing” agricultural systems in the grasslands, and engage local producers for the first time in such approaches. At the same time it will seek to strengthen the existing alliance, by engaging with producer associations and government agencies, and will provide support to the development of an action plan for the implementation of a migratory species conservation agreement signed by the four national governments under the framework of the Convention on Migratory Species. Links with North American Joint Ventures and “biodiversity-friendly” producers elsewhere in the world will also be strengthened, in part through reciprocal exchanges.
BRAZIL
Project: Migratory Shorebird Conservation and Shrimp Farming in NE Brazil.
Location: Coast of the State of Ceará, NE Brazil.
Grantee: AQUASIS – Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos.
Contact: Caio J. Carlos, cjcarlos@bol.com.br.
Partners: Federal University of Ceará/Department of Biology/Marine Invertebrates Laboratory; Federal University of Ceará/Department of Geography/Laboratory of Digital Cartography.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $125,934.
Matching Funds: $378,170.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT1304.		 Mangroves and other associated habitats along the coast of Brazil provide food resources and shelter for many migratory shorebirds and are important stopover sites along the western Atlantic flyway. The main objective of this project is to promote conservation of shorebirds and their habitats in northeast Brazil by improving understanding of shorebird seasonal abundance and habitat quality and the impacts of shrimp farming on intertidal environments. In addition to ornithological research, biologists will conduct extensive mapping of the coast of Ceará and portions of Rio Grande do Norte State to quantify the existing pond area and the amount of shorebird habitats occupied by shrimp ponds. Data will help provide information on the impact of shrimp farms on shorebird habitats in northeast Brazil and establish a scientific basis for adaptive strategic habitat conservation strategies for shorebird habitat conservation in this critical portion of the flyway.
Project: Reducing Mortality and Loss of Critical Habitat on the Brazilian Winter Range of the U.S. Population of Swallow-tailed Kites.
Location: States of Rondonia, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
Grantee: Avian Research and Conservation Institute.
Contact: Kenneth D. Meyer, Ph.D., meyer@arcinst.org.
Partners: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Turner Foundation; Southern Company; Plum Creek Timber Company; Felburn Foundation; Avian Research and Conservation Institute; local ranchers and land owners; Disney Wildlife Conservation; Busch Gardens/SeaWorld Conservation.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $78,000.
Matching Funds: $234,100.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0704.		 The swallow-tailed kite, whose numbers have declined substantially since 1940, is considered a species of great conservation need.  A pilot study by the Avian Research and Conservation Institute examined trends in land conversion, landowner strategies, changes in quality and availability of critical avian habitats, and uses of environmental toxins that could be inducing the elevated mortality, rendering this traditional range unsuitable for most of the U.S. migratory population and compromising the sustainability of the resident breeding population.  This project includes a rigorous investigation of the sources of mortality related to rapid, large-scale conversion from family-owned cattle ranches to intensive, industrial row-crop agriculture, and of the effects of this extensive transformation on migratory and breeding populations of swallow-tailed kites and other species dependent on the region’s imperiled dry tropical forest and cerrado plant communities of Brazil.
BRAZIL, FRENCH GUIANA, SURINAME
Project: Assessing Population Status, Structure and Conservation Needs for Semipalmated Sandpiper.
Location: Suriname: Bigi Pan Multiple Use Management Area, Coppenamemonding Nature Reserve, Wia Wia Nature Reserve; French Guiana: Kourou Estuary, Nature Reserve of Amana; Brazil: Reentrancias Maranhenses.
Grantee: New Jersey Audubon Society.
Contact: David S. Mizrahi, Ph.D., david.mizrahi@njaudubon.org.
Partners: New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Philadelphia Zoo, New Jersey Audubon Society, American Airlines through National Park Foundation with National Park Service.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $83,840.
Matching Funds: $257,584.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT1402, NT1411, and NT1419.		 The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive conservation strategy for semipalmated sandpiper in its core South American migration, staging and wintering areas.  The project's primary objectives are to assess the abundance and distribution of the species along South America’s northern coast during southbound migration and winter, characterize the species' demographic properties and population structure, and identify areas important to populations that pass through Delaware Bay during northbound migration.  The study will target three important sites for the species: the nation of Suriname, a known shorebird wintering and migration stopover site in French Guiana, and an internationally important shorebird site in Brazil.  Data collected in South America will be used to infer links between southern staging and wintering areas and populations using Delaware Bay in spring.  This information will provide a basis for developing population-specific conservation strategies with North and South American partners.
CANADA
Project: Enhancing Bird Monitoring and Conservation at Canadian IBAs through Caretaker Networks.
Location: Canada.
Grantee: Bird Studies Canada.
Contact: Dr. George Finney, gfinney@bsc-eoc.org.
Partners: Nature Canada; BC Nature.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $82,156.
Matching Funds: $252,967.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: .
BCR: 3 through 14.
Ecoregion: Approximately two dozen terrestrial ecoregions within Canada.		 This project will facilitate enhanced monitoring, conservation and stewardship of Important Bird Areas (IBAs), and the migratory bird populations they support, through a network of IBA Caretakers and citizen scientists that will act as the “eyes on the ground” for the 84 sites in British Columbia.  In this pilot project, caretakers will act as stewards of sites, providing new information on conservation threats and management opportunities.  Caretakers may also participate directly in bird population monitoring at IBAs through existing programs (e.g., eBird), or enlist the help of accomplished birders if necessary.  The lessons learned from this pilot will be evaluated and shared across the country with the goal of developing a national IBA caretaker network.
Project: Population Trends of Neotropical Migrants in Boreal Canada: Year 2.
Location: Nova Scotia, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon, Canada.
Grantee: Bird Studies Canada.
Contact: Dr. George Finney, gfinney@bsc-eoc.org.
Partners: Acadia University; Canadian Migration Monitoring Network.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $35,936.
Matching Funds: $110,020.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 4 ,5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 14.
Ecoregion: NA0406, NA0506, NA0509, NA0514, NA0605, NA0606, NA0607, NA0608, NA0609, NA0610, NA0612, NA0613, v, NA0616, and NA0617.		 This project builds on an initiative launched in 2007. The Canadian Migration Monitoring Network(CMMN-RCSM) was founded in 1998 as a joint initiative among Bird Studies Canada, the Canadian Wildlife Service and 20 independent member organizations located across Canada.  Most CMMN-RCSM migration monitoring stations have been collecting standardized migration count data for at least 10 years; one has been in continuous operation for 47 years. Since its inception, the primary goal of the CMMN-RCSM has been to monitor population trends of landbird migrants originating in Canada, with a particular focus on species that breed largely in northern regions and winter in the neotropics, and are therefore not adequately monitored by other monitoring programs. The goals of this project are to address key recommendations on migration monitoring as presented in various Partners in Flight planning documents, increase the scientific and conservation value of the CMMN-RCSM, and refine our knowledge on the state of Neotropical migrant landbird population trends in boreal and northern Canada.
Project: Stewards of Saskatchewan: Habitat Conservation for Bird Species at Risk.
Location: Saskatchewan, Canada.
Grantee: Nature Saskatchewan.
Contact: Margaret Skeel, mskeel@naturesask.ca.
Partners: Gov’t Canada Habitat Stewardship Program; Saskatchewan Environment; EJLB Foundation; SaskPower; Alliance Pipeline Community Program; HRSDC Summer Career Program; Endangered Species Recovery Fund; Saskatchewan Environmental Sustainable Communities Grant; Shell Environmental Fund.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $50,000.
Matching Funds: $475,584.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 11.
Ecoregion: NA0802, NA0810, and NA0811.		 The Stewards of Saskatchewan: Habitat Conservation for Bird Species at Risk project engages landowners in habitat conservation for three Neotropical migrants: the endangered burrowing owl, the threatened prairie loggerhead shrike and the endangered piping plover, as well as other prairie species. More northern Neotropical migrants that pass through the prairies also benefit from the conservation of natural prairie habitats.  The objectives of the project are to conserve prairie and riparian habitat, focusing on these three species, through voluntary landowner stewardship agreements; provide environmental education and awareness through outreach activities to southern Saskatchewan residents; enlarge grassland habitat and reduce fragmentation by assisting landowners with cropland conversion; and evaluate the success of habitat conservation and enhancement by annually monitoring land use changes for focal bird species.
CARIBBEAN REGION
Project: Saving Critical Sites for Neotropical Migratory Birds in the Caribbean.
Location: All insular Caribbean countries, with a special focus on the Bahamas, Barbados and Haiti.
Grantee: BirdLife International.
Contact: David Wege, david.wege@birdlife.org.
Partners: Jensen Foundation; British Birdwatching Fair; Bahamas National Trust; Kerzner Foundation.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $192,180.
Matching Funds: $786,500.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: .		 The insular Caribbean is a global “hotspot” and priority for biodiversity conservation. The region is packed with more than 150 endemic birds, 105 of which are found on single islands. Over 10 percent of the region’s birds are considered globally threatened by the IUCN Red List program, demonstrating the pressure habitats are under. The Caribbean is also critically important for many Neotropical migratory birds during the boreal winter months.  This project will improve the long-term conservation status of four priority migrant Important Bird Areas – sites that stand out as of vital importance – as part of an ongoing strategy to conserve the region’s IBAs.
CARIBBEAN REGION, CENTRAL AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA
Project: Implementing Sustained Conservation Action for Waterbirds in the Neotropical Region.
Location: Caribbean and Central and South America.
Grantee: BirdLife International (on behalf of the Waterbird Conservation Council for the Waterbird Conservation for the Americas initiative).
Contact: Ian J. Davidson, ian.davidson@birdlife.org.
Partners: High Andean Wetland Action Plan; Wetlands International; Americas Waterbird Council; Regional Center for Wetland Training and Research in the Western Hemisphere.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $106,623.
Matching Funds: $319,869.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: .		 BirdLife, working with partners, will make available national and regional reports on the status of waterbirds and their conservation to key stakeholders throughout the Latin American-Caribbean region.  Partners will also initiate conservation action at four priority sites for waterbirds identified through a 2006 Neotropical waterbird assessment; train local stakeholders to develop and implement habitat or species management plans and conduct regular waterbird censuses; and advance waterbird conservation in the region through an active engagement with governments, key conventions and initiatives. Outputs from this project will enhance the Americas Waterbird Council’s capacity to engage in proactive waterbird conservation in the region and for the first time, actively forge greater cooperation between North American and Latin American-Caribbean based initiatives with a similar vision for waterbird and wetland conservation.
COLOMBIA, ECUADOR, PERU
Project: Reforestation of Critical Wintering Habitat for Neotropical Migrants.
Location: Ten sites across Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Grantee: American Bird Conservancy.
Contact: Dr. Paul Salaman, psalaman@abcbirds.org.
Partners: Fundación Jocotoco.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $204,500.
Matching Funds: $750,000.
Nonmatching Funds: $97,635.
Ecoregion: NT0104, NT0109, NT0121, NT0136, NT0145,NT0153, NT0174, NT0214, NT0223, and NT1006.		 The American Bird Conservancy and its in-country partners will work cooperatively to protect over 5,680 acres (acquired) and reforest more than 3,000 acres with 810,000 trees of significant wintering habitat in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru for more than 20 Neotropical migratory bird species including olive-sided flycatcher, willow flycatcher, bay-breasted, cerulean and golden-winged warblers, and more than 35 globally threatened bird species.
COSTA RICA
Project: Maintaining the Costa Rican Bird Route to Ensure Habitat Protection.
Location: San Juan – La Selva Biological Corridor, Sarapiqui Region, Heredia, Costa Rica.
Grantee: Rainforest Biodiversity Group, Inc.
Contact: Andrew Rothman, rainforestbiodiversitygroup@riseup.net.
Partners: Numerous.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $30,000.
Matching Funds: $91,700.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0129.		 The lowland tropical forests of northeastern Costa Rica provide habitat for more than 500 species of birds, including 60 Neotropical migrants.  The Rainforest Biodiversity Group is working with more than 20 other organizations to create the San Juan – La Selva Biological Corridor, a key section of the multinational Mesoamerican Biological Corridor and the last viable location to connect remaining forested habitat in Nicaragua with forested habitat in Costa Rica.  The San Juan – La Selva  corridor will link the protected areas of the lower San Juan River watershed and the Indio-Maize Biosphere Reserve with Braulio Carrillo National Park and the Central Volcanic Range in Costa Rica, connecting nearly 262,000 ha (587,000 acres) of habitat.  Rainforest Biodiversity Group will use grant and matching funds to maintain the Costa Rican Bird Route, a route that guides tourists to a series of reserves and protected areas where they may observe birds, wildlife and local culture, to ensure habitat protection in the San Juan – La Selva Biological Corridor of Costa Rica.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Project: Designing Conservation Strategies for Winter Habitat of Bicknell’s Thrush:  A Participatory Stakeholder Workshop in the Dominican Republic.
Location: Dominican Republic.
Grantee: Vermont Center for Ecostudies.
Contact: Christopher C. Rimmer, crimmer@vtecostudies.org.
Partners: Sociedad para el Desarrollo Integral del Nordeste; Fundacion Loma Quita Espuel; Sociedad Ornitológica de Hispaniola; La Cooperativa Red Guaconejo.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $5,250.
Matching Funds: $15,437.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0127.		 Hispaniola is believed to support more than 90 percent of the global wintering population of Bicknell’s thrush, the most highly ranked Neotropical migrant passerine for conservation priority in the northeastern United States.  This project seeks to coordinate a facilitated two-day scoping workshop for conservation of Bicknell’s thrush winter habitat in the eastern Cordillera Septentrional of the Dominican Republic.  Specific objectives of the workshop will be to educate local stakeholders about the importance of the area for conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems services in the Dominican Republic; inform stakeholders about landscape features and land use practices to conserve avian winter habitat, with a focus on Bicknell’s thrush; collaboratively explore way to balance local economic well-being and ecological integrity; identify appropriate and realistic conservation actions to achieve desired land use changes in the eastern Cordillera Septentrional; and support development of a local conservation ethic, showcasing Bicknell’s thrush and other migrant and resident species.  The newly-created Bicknell’s Thrush Habitat Protection Fund will serve as a model for how international collaboration can leverage resources to achieve on-the-ground conservation at a local scale.
Project: Implementation of Conservation Actions for Migratory Birds.
Location: Dominican Republic, Reserva de Biosfera, focusing on Parque Nacional Bahoruco.
Grantee: Sociedad Ornitologica de la Hispaniola.
Contact: Jorge Brocca, jbrocca@soh.org.do.
Partners: .
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $12,700.
Matching Funds: $38,132.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0215, and NT0305.		 This project proposes to expand collaborative bird studies and conservation efforts in the Dominican Republic by Sociedad Ornitología de la Hispaniola y El Museo de Historia Natural. It is designed for a one-year period and will be conducted in a Biosphere reserve (Bahoruco National Park) in collaboration with Fundacion Paraíso, Fundacion Cielo and other community organizations. Its major objectives are to establish an outreach program to educate school students and Dominican ornithologists about migratory bird conservation and habitat stewardship; and develop and broadly disseminate information on migratory birds in the Dominican Republic, emphasizing their distribution and habitat preferences, basic biology and conservation needs.  Principal expected products of this project are implementation of 20 training courses and other field-oriented educational opportunities for school and biology students, as well as birdwatchers, and two non-technical documents and at least four divulgation articles on migratory birds and the importance of habitat conservation, to educate Dominican Government officials and citizens.
Project: Sendero Barrancoli – The Dominican Birding Trail.
Location: Dominican Republic.
Grantee: National Aviary, Dept. of Conservation and Field Research.
Contact: Dr. Steven Latta, steven.latta@aviary.org.
Partners: Sociedad Ornitológica de la Hispaniola; private individuals.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $28,490.
Matching Funds: $95,443.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0127,NT0215, and NT0305.		 Hispaniola supports more than 35 over-wintering Neotropical migratory bird species, some of which winter primarily or exclusively in the region.  In the face of extreme habitat destruction in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, there is a recognized need to increase appreciation of birds and other wildlife to help build a conservation ethic that will support local and national conservation efforts.  The goal of this project is to develop and publicize the Sendero Barrancolí – The Dominican Birding Trail.  Partners will develop support for Dominican conservation by identifying 60 to 80 sites in five regions; publishing a booklet describing the Sendero Barrancolí, including site descriptions, maps, driving and walking directions, expected and highlight bird species, and recommendations for food and accommodations;  printing a laminated map that will serve as an introduction to the sites of the Sendero Barrancolí and the common and endemic birds of the country; coordinating a media campaign; and placing all materials on the Internet to help promote the Sendero Barrancolí worldwide.  This project seeks not only to increase birdwatching opportunities, but also to bolster the economic impact of birdwatching and ecotourism.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HAITI
Project: Protecting Critical Neotropical Migratory Bird Wintering Habitat on Hispaniola.
Location: Hispaniola Island (Dominican Republic and Haiti).
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy.
Contact: Francisco Núñez, fnunez@tnc.org.
Partners: The Consorcio Ambiental Dominicano; Societe Audubon du Haiti.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $83,394.
Matching Funds: $250,890.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0127,NT0215, and NT0305.		 The island of Hispaniola provides critical wintering and stopover habitat for numerous Neotropical migratory birds.  The Nature Conservancy’s Central Caribbean Program and partners are currently working to benefit migratory and resident birds by improving and maintaining important habitat and protecting bird populations through community education, outreach and by working to improve law enforcement.  Collaborating with other non-governmental organizations, government agencies and local communities, the Conservancy will strengthen and expand current projects to safeguard populations of Neotropical migratory birds whose survival depends upon healthy habitat as well as an informed citizenry of Hispaniola committed to advancing avian conservation.
ECUADOR
Project: Multidisciplinary Approach to Conserving Neotropical Migrants in the Ecuadorian Chocó.
Location: Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador.
Grantee: Regents of the University of California.
Contact: Jordan Karubian, Ph.D., jordank@ucla.edu.
Partners: Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund; Conservation, Food, and Health Foundation; University of California, Los Angeles; Jatun Sacha Foundation; private donor.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $150,368.
Matching Funds: $452,580.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: .		 The Chocó biogeographic zone is an internationally recognized conservation priority. Chocó forests of northwestern Ecuador are used by 20 species recognized as Neotropical migrant conservation priorities. However, use of these forests as wintering habitat by these priority species is poorly understood. In Ecuador, more than 96 percent of original Chocó forests were already cut by 1996 and much of what does remain is not well protected.  This project will identify priority habitats for conservation of Neotropical migrants by surveying a series of chronically understudied areas; build capacityby training local residents, university students, and professional biologists via direct participation in research and education components of the project; provide environmental education on Neotropical migrants and their conservation to local adults and children; and create and preserve habitat for Neotropical migrants via establishment of community reserves and reforestation of over 600 ha.
GUATEMALA
Project: Conserving Critical Migratory Bird Habitat in the Selva Maya de Guatemala.
Location: Norte de Petén, Guatemala.
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy.
Contact: Rudy Herrera, rherrera@tnc.org.
Partners: Fundación Defensores de la Naturaleza; Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $250,000.
Matching Funds: $750,000.
Nonmatching Funds: $51,460.
Ecoregion: NT0154.		 The Maya Forest, extending some 5.3 million hectares across southern Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, has long been regarded as invaluable habitat for Neotropical migratory birds. The unbroken terrain of the Maya Forest provides critical wintering habitat and serves as a migratory corridor. By protecting large, undisturbed tracts in the Maya Forest and implementing complementary conservation activities, The Nature Conservancy is preserving the biological connectivity of the region and safeguarding the migratory paths and habitats of Neotropical birds and other species.  As part of this project, the Conservancy and its local partners seek to advance knowledge regarding the diversity, health and abundance of migratory birds by establishing monitoring stations in two key protected areas within the reserve; identify critical migratory bird habitat and analyze the threats and impacts affecting this habitat; and develop and carry out a plan for mitigating the impact on key migratory bird habitat through protection activities that include land acquisition, patrolling and fire management.
HONDURAS
Project: Corridors and Communities: Conserving Vital Forest Habitat in Northern Honduras.
Location: Departments of Atlántida and Yoro, Honduras.
Grantee: EcoLogic Development Fund.
Contact: David Kramer, dkramer@ecologic.org.
Partners:  Federation of Municipalities of Central Atlántida State of Honduras; Pico Bonito Southern Sector Association of Water Committees.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $191,000.
Matching Funds: $586,775.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0111, NT0112, NT0209, and NT0303.		 EcoLogic Development Fund will work in north-central Honduras with two local partners—a network of community-based water committees and an alliance of municipalities—to protect and restore forests to help assure connectivity between protected areas around the central hub of Pico Bonito National Park in the Nombre de Dios mountain range. These upland forests and the lower wetlands they help maintain provide critical habitat for 192 species of Neotropical migrants.  The project will conserve intact forest through community-based microwatershed management; reforest degraded habitat with tree planting and agroforestry activities; and facilitate learning exchanges between partners and local project participants around the integration of habitat conservation, forest restoration and water resource management.
MEXICO
Project: Aros/Yaqui Rivers Habitat Conservation.
Location: Sierra Los Pavos, and Zetasora; Aros/Yaqui River Basins in Central Sonora.
Grantee: Northern Jaguar Project, Naturalia, AC.
Contact: Diana Hadley, hadleyd@email.arizona.edu.
Partners: Thaw Charitable Trust; Robert and Michelle Friend Foundation; American Association of Zookeepers; anonymous foundation; Defenders of Wildlife; and individual donors.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $147,268.
Matching Funds: $468,625.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 34.
Ecoregion: .		 The Northern Jaguar Project and Naturalia have partnered to purchase the 35,000-acre Rancho Zetasora in the Aros/Yaqui Conservation Area.  Grant funds will assist in the purchase and protection of this site, as well as protection and management of bird populations; maintenance, management, protection and restoration of bird habitat; research and monitoring of the annual/seasonal vegetation changes and foraging behaviors; and education and community outreach. A total of more than 45,000 acres of Neotropical migratory bird habitat will be protected, including 20 kilometers of Aros River riparian woodland.
Project: Conservation and Restoration of Biological Corridors in the Sierra Madre of Chiapas.
Location: BCR 60 Sierra Madre de Chiapas y BCR 61 Planicie Costera del Soconusco.
Grantee: Fondo de Conservación El Triunfo A.C.
Contact: Silvia Llamas Prado, sllamas@fondoeltriunfo.org.
Partners: Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas; The Nature Conservancy; Pronatura Chiapas; Fondo de Conservación El Triunfo A.C.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $250,000.
Matching Funds: $756,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 60 and 61.
Ecoregion: NA0303, NT0112, NT0113, NT0209 and NT0162.		 El Triunfo represents one of the Important Bird Areas for the conservation of priority bird species within the strategy and plan of action of NABCI in Mexico.  La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve is another important site for the conservation of bird species in Chiapas.  In 2006, this reserve joined an alliance to contribute to conservation efforts in the region.  The Coapa watershed and the Cuxtepec watershed form an important corridor that connects El Triunfo with La Encrucijada, and this project focuses its efforts in this corridor to support and maintain the connectivity of the Sierra Madre with the Pacific Coast. The project promotes conservation alternatives in biological corridors to maintain the connections of the forest in the Sierra Madre, which also connects different IBAs including El Triunfo. It also promotes restoration actions in the Coapa and Cuxtepec watersheds, promotes participative monitoring activities in these watersheds and the development of a bird conservation plan, in collaboration with the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture and the Pacific Coast Joint Venture.
Project: Ecotourism, Bird Habitat Protection, and Community-based Conservation in Northwest Mexico.
Location: Sonora and Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Grantee: Sonoran Joint Venture.
Contact: Jennie Duberstein, Jennie_Duberstein@fws.gov.
Partners: BirdLife International; CONANP-Alamos; National Tourism Development Trust of Mexico; Nature and Culture International; Packard Foundation; Pronatura Noroest; Pronatura Noroeste; University of Arizona.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $152,450.
Matching Funds: $378,550.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 33, 42 and 43.
Ecoregion: NA0201, NA1310, and NA1314.		 Combined with an overall habitat protection and restoration effort, birding ecotourism has the potential to be an important piece of a larger solution to the issues facing bird populations in the Sonoran Joint Venture. This project strives to protect Neotropical migratory birds and their habitats by combining on-the-ground restoration and protection efforts with developing local ecotourism projects in northwest Mexico. Project objectives include supporting and promoting existing bird habitat restoration and protection efforts in northwest Mexico; linking on-the-ground Neotropical migratory bird habitat restoration and protection projects in northwest Mexico with developing local ecotourism efforts; building the capacity of local residents and community partners in Mexico to develop economic diversification projects as an incentive for conservation of Neotropical migratory birds and habitats; connecting bird tour operators in the United States and elsewhere with Mexican project sites to encourage responsible ecotourism practices and develop conservation incentives for local residents; and educating tour participants about the importance of the region to Neotropical migratory birds and the work of the Sonoran Joint Venture and its partners to protect these areas.
Project: Private Reserves and Forest Management, North of the Sierra Madre Occidental.
Location: Chihuahua, Mexico.
Grantee: Pronatura Chiapas A.C.
Contact: Eglantina Canales Gutierrez, ecanales@profauna.org.mx.
Partners: National Bird Program from Pronatura (Pronatura Mèxico, Noreste and Chiapas) with Pronatura; Profauna; ITESM; Ejido Tutuaca; and Unidad Forestal/Producers.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $249,520.
Matching Funds: $968,684.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NA0302.		 Old-growth forests are irreplaceable habitats of immense ecological value. Some of the successional stages of these old-growth forests reach thousand of years, and are essential to many wildlife species as their attributes aren’t found in younger forests.  The Unidad Forestal Casas Grandes-Babícora manages more than a million hectares (ha) of forests in this region and through an alliance with Pronatura has worked with 30 landowners to voluntarily set aside for conservation a minimum of 100,000 ha (240,000 acres) of valuable wildlife habitat.  This project includes the protection of a network of five priority areas for migratory bird conservation: Tutuaca, Papigochi, Campo Verde, Santuario Madera and Mesa de Guacamayas in Chihuahua, Mexico.  Specific goals are to protect more than 100,000 ha (240,000 acres) and restore 1,000 ha (2,400 acres) of degraded habitat, and conduct environmental education about forest conservation.  The project will benefit more than 270 bird species with numerous populations of migratory and resident birds, half of which are Neotropical birds.
Project: Protecting Neo-tropical Migratory Bird Habitat in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Mexico.
Location: Campeche and Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Grantee: Rainforest2Reef (formerly Friends of Calakmul).
Contact: Cheri Sugal, cheri@Rainforest2Reef.org.
Partners: Global Conservation Fund at Conservation International; Goldman Foundation; Threshold Foundation; Salesforce Foundation; Foundation for Global Community; Individual donor; Beneficia Foundation; National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $155,710.
Matching Funds: $485,894.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 56.
Ecoregion: NA0181.		 Rainforest2Reef is protecting 350,000 acres in the buffer zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in the Yucatan Peninsula in southern Mexico by providing local owners with economic incentives to conserve their land.  In exchange for an annual payment, landowners agree to give up their logging rights and engage in conservation activities. Thus far, Rainforest2Reef has successfully negotiated agreements on roughly 250,000 acres, and is finalizing agreements on the remaining lands this year.  This area is critically important for the survival of 85 Neotropical migratory bird species.  With this grant, Rainforest2Reef will focus on the diversity and dynamics of bird communities, including both resident and migratory species, outsidethe Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, establishing monitoring points on lands around Calakmul as well as in the corridor connecting Calakmul and the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.  This research will inform a regional long-term strategy for protecting the corridor.
NICARAGUA
Project: Conserving Diverse Island Habitats and Altitudinal Refugia Significant for Neotropical Migrants.
Location: Island of Ometepe, Lake Nicaragua, Nicaragua.
Grantee: Fauna & Flora International.
Contact: Alison Gunn, alison.gunn@fauna-flora.org.
Partners: Nicaragua Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources; Ministry of Tourism; Fundación entre Volcanes; Cooperativa Carlos Dias; local small businesses.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $105,227.
Matching Funds: $316,360.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0119.		 The island of Ometepe, in Lake Nicaragua, is an exceptional site for biodiversity conservation.  Within its 276 square kilometers is a dramatic range of altitudinal, topographic and climatic conditions, resulting in a suite of habitats representative of all major types in Nicaragua: dry, transitional, moist and cloud forests, as well as lowland wetlands.  Surveys confirm Ometepe’s importance for migratory birds, with at least 56 species of Neotropical migrants known to use the island’s forests and wetlands.  Since 2005, Fauna & Flora International has been working to build local capacity on the island for conservation of key forest and wetland habitat areas, protected area management and sustainable natural resource use.  This project aims to strengthen local capacity and support for management and protection of avian habitat across the island; monitor the impacts of conservation management on bird populations and habitats; raise awareness of Ometepe’s conservation value at local, national and international levels; and investigate sustainable financing mechanisms for conservation management of the island’s unique natural resources.
URUGUAY
Project:  Shorebird Use of Rice Fields, Uruguay.
Location: Departamento de Artigas, Uruguay.
Grantee:  Aves Uruguay.
Contact: Joaquín Aldabe, joaquin@aldabe.org.
Partners: Grupo para la protección ambiental activa (Bella Unión); Averaves; Museo Nacional de Historia Natural; Wetlands International; Asociación de Cultivadores de Arroz; Vida Silvestre Uruguay; Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca.
Approved: March 2008.
Grant: $16,400.
Matching Funds: $49,200.
Nonmatching Funds: $10,000.
Ecoregion: NT0710.		 Rice fields in the southern cone of South America offer important alternative habitat for Neotropical shorebirds. Uruguayan rice fields offer important habitat for many Neotropical shorebird species. However, this has not been documented to fully understand the importance and relation of Neotropical shorebirds to this crop.  This project will study the distribution, abundance, density and relation to the crop cycle of Neotropical shorebirds in rice crops of northern Uruguay by carrying out field observations during a complete crop cycle and publishing a technical report on the importance and relation of Neotropical shorebirds to rice fields in this area. Workshops will be held with landowners, the rice producer association of Uruguay, government agencies and the community. A brochure will inform the public of the importance of rice fields for birds and biodiversity conservation.
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