2013 Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Grants Announced
27 of the 74 eligible proposals submitted to the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grant program were approved for funding in 2013.  The grants total $3.5 million with $12.5 million in matching funds and will take place in 15 countries.  Details for the 2014 NMBCA grant program will be announced in July-August 2013.
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Pilot Program Continues Focus on High Priority Species for the 2013 Funding Cycle
The NMBCA pilot program targets a portion of funding on a group of particularly threatened Neotropical migratory birds with the goal of achieving a measurable biological improvement in these species over the next 5-10 years. Twenty-five to 30 percent of NMBCA funding for 2013 will be dedicated in support of projects that propose to address these species as outlined in these instructions. The remaining 70-75 percent of funds will be dedicated in support of the traditional NMBCA program, where conservation projects addressing any Neotropical migratory bird species are eligible.

BirdLife International Wins Coveted Biodiversity Conservation Award
On March 20, 2013, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grantee BirdLife International was presented with a BBVA Foundation Biodiversity Conservation Award for their work to identify and conserve places rich in both native and migratory bird species throughout Latin America. The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act has supported BirdLife's biodiversity conservation projects for the last nine years.
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'The Sandpiper Challenge' Race Connects Eco-Adventurers with Migratory Birds in Paraguay 
On November 3, 4, and 5, 2012,  eco-adventurers from several countries converged in Paraguay for a fierce 80, 150, or 300 kilometer race along part of the migratory route of the 'mbatui' (the Buff-breasted Sandpiper) and other neotropical migratory shorebirds. The race was made possible in part by support from the Service's Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act to grantee Guyra Paraguay, working with the Geographic Society of Paraguay and Expedición Tembiasá.
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Conservation Plan for Grassland Birds in the Chihuahuan Desert
The Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (RMBO) has released the first-ever conservation plan for grassland bird species that winter in the Chihuahuan Desert. Grassland birds have declined more steeply than any other group of North American birds.
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The Southern Cone grasslands
The Southern Cone grasslands of South America are important for resident and migratory birds.  Read about the efforts of the Southern Cones Grasslands Alliance, a collaboration funded by NMBCA grants. In an effort to preserve important areas and promote responsible land management in southern South America, international conservation organizations created the Southern Cone Grasslands Alliance.  A 2003 Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided the seed money the Alliance needed to get off the ground.  
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New Bird List
As of August 26, 2011, we’ve posted a new list of the 386 bird species defined as neotropical migrants under the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA). Along with the English and scientific names, which follow the taxonomy of the American Ornithologists’ Union’s Checklist of North American Birds, the list also indicates species listed under the Endangered Species Act and those listed on the National Audubon Society/American Bird Conservancy’s Watchlist or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Birds of Conservation Concern. The new list also highlights birds eligible for the NMBCA pilot program for grants targeting conservation actions leading to measurable biological outcomes within 5-6 years for 13 specific species.
NMBCA Bird List

Audubon Society Video Highlights Successes of the Neotrop Act
National Audubon Society President Dave Yarnold recently joined Secretary General of the Organization of American States Jose Miguel Insulza, ambassadors from Brazil, Panama, the Bahamas and Dominican Republic, and Jeff Trandahl, executive director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to host a special celebration marking the tenth anniversary of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act.  Audubon created a five-minute video especially for the occasion, highlighting the successes of the Neotrop Act over the past decade.
Audubon Video
Audubon Video en Español

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