BY THE NUMBERS

OUR STRATEGY

ACROSS THE
FULL ANNUAL CYCLE

Science to Solutions

Recent research indicates we have lost roughly 3 billion birds in North America in the last 50 years. Among the hardest hit are grassland birds, with losses estimated around 700 million.

We are in a race against time to reverse these trends. Conservation efforts must address the full annual cycle of birds’ lives. Many migratory birds rely on habitat spanning thousands of miles, without regard for human boundaries. Mexico may be home in the winter, while the Great Plains are breeding grounds in the summer. Thousands of miles of land in-between provide stopover points and temporary havens for rest and refueling.

Scientific research and monitoring reveals where the birds are, habitat needs, causes of declines, and opportunities to maximize conservation returns.

Explore the Map! Click a pin to view science and research projects delivered in 2019, and planned for 2020 and beyond.

Studying Conservation Investment

Much of the Great Plains, which provides critical grassland bird habitat, are privately-owned. Successful conservation of grassland birds depends on strong partnerships between private landowners and resource professionals. We partnered with landowners and the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Playa Lakes Joint Venture to study how private land conservation in the Southern Plains can recover populations of grassland birds. The research verified the importance of the Conservation Reserve Program and Prescribed Grazing to increasing populations of imperiled grassland birds by 1.8 million and protecting breeding habitat for 4.5 million grassland birds in a small region of the Southern Plains.

On the Wing with Black Swifts

Populations of aerial insectivores like the Black Swift are declining rapidly. Studying the Black Swift brings special challenges because of their elusive nature and the rugged and remote habitat they prefer. In 2019, we continued our forays into such wild places to advance efforts to learn more about their foraging behavior and daily lives. Biologists attached small wing activity devices called accelerometers and GPS units to a birds’ leg or back. Accelerometers measure body acceleration in one, two or three axis and GPS units collect precise altitude and location information. These devices are expanding the frontiers of movement ecology and revealing new information about Black Swifts, a vital piece of the puzzle to guide their conservation.  

A Closer Look at Pipits

Sprague’s Pipits are an enigma. They inhabit far-flung prairies, their populations are steeply declining, and we know almost nothing about their nonbreeding ecology. To study them is a practice in patience, light-footedness, and “intelligent failure”. Did we mention that they are cute? Cuteness aside, Bird Conservancy and partners have advanced our understanding of this species by radio tagging and tracking wintering individuals. A new article in the Wilson Journal of Ornithology revealed that within the Chihuahuan Desert grasslands of Northern Mexico, pipits preferred areas with more bare ground. Sprague’s Pipits share this landscape with species that prefer dense grass, so actions that embrace structural diversity in grasslands is a win for all. 

Increasing
Environmental
Literacy

A Year in Pictures

We know that full immersion of youth in nature creates life-changing experiences with lasting impacts.

Year-round Bird Camps, field trips for schools, nature clubs, BioBlitzes, family programs and special events are getting kids outside and connecting with the natural world. Our partnerships and collaborations with others enhance those experiences and expand our reach.

Together, we are nurturing the minds and spirits of our youth, inspiring and helping to create future scientists, conservationists and bird lovers.

Birds in the Hand

Our bird banding stations allow us to monitor trends in bird migration activity over time and also serve as an outdoor classroom for visiting students and community members. In 2019, we were excited to establish a new banding station at Roger’s Grove Park in Longmont, CO. This station was open two days per week during peak migration in spring and fall, and hosted over 200 visitors. Visitors to the station learned about the obstacles that migratory birds must overcome in their travels while seeing these same birds up close and personal. Strategically-placed bird banding stations like this enable us to monitor migratory birds in urban and suburban environments while also providing a unique educational experience for visitors. 

Habitat Restoration Rock Stars

The Nature Center at Butler Corner has been in Kathie Butler’s family for over 90 years. Today, it’s a place where visitors go to experience all that nature has to offer. Consisting of mountain meadow, gamble oak, and Ponderosa pine habitats, the land historically held snowmelt moisture throughout the year. Lately, however, water rushes off the land via several eroding gullies. Private lands wildlife biologist, Kristina Kline, created a plan using low-tech rock structures to slow the water and spread it across the meadows. Visiting 5th graders got to learn about habitat restoration, then get hands-on experience building the rock structures. It was a win-win-win for the Nature Center property, birds and wildlife, and aspiring conservationists of tomorrow.

Making Meaningful Change

2019 concluded our first year of Environmental Service Learning projects in western Nebraska. Four classrooms were selected to deliver an original, environment focused project in their school or community. Projects included reducing food waste by composting with worms, creating an outdoor classroom with pollinator plants, implementing a town recycling program, and increasing biodiversity at a recreation site. The experiences included celebrations in the form of field trips and community events. The initiative continues in 2020 with participating classrooms building bat houses, creating a pollinator habitat, and learning about sustainable gardening practices, composting and water conservation through the use of rain barrels.

Conservation
& Community

Private working farms and ranches comprise 70% of the western landscape, home to many of our imperiled grassland birds. That’s why, for more than 20 years, our organization has operated a private lands program working alongside landowners and managers to raise awareness for bird conservation needs and enhance habitat at the local level.

Our collaborative conservation landscape extends from Montana to Mexico, fueled by the expertise of a network of strategically-placed Private Lands Wildlife Biologists. We start conservation with a conversation, engaging people with tools and resources to enhance the health and productivity of working lands for the benefit of wildlife and rural communities.

New Private Lands Wildlife Biologists stationed in Colorado and New Mexico are expanding our ability to focus on grassland ecosystems.

Big Gains at Little Bijou

Is it possible to benefit people, birds and land at the same time? The Little Bijou Ranch in Morgan County Colorado has done just that. David Koffler and his partners purchased the ranch with the intention of using it for hunting and other recreational purposes. With a great respect for the animals that he harvests David also wanted to provide them with the highest quality habitat possible. Over the last four years David has built a relationship with Bird Conservancy’s Private Lands Wildlife Biologist, Kelsea Holloway, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service who have provided him with the tools and knowledge needed to improve his land for birds and other wildlife. Through grazing, weed control and wetland management the diversity continues to grow.

Plover Pride

The community of Karval kicked off their 13th Annual Mountain Plover Festival in April with exclusive private land tours, hearty homecooked meals, and small-town hospitality. Nature enthusiasts traveled from afar for a rare opportunity to see Mountain Plovers on the prairies of eastern Colorado. Private Lands Wildlife Biologist Ryan Parker and landowners Russell and John Davis took it one step further by scouting the landscape to locate this elusive bird’s nest. Attendees relished in the opportunity to see a plover sitting on eggs while cattle grazed nearby in the same pasture. The importance of pairing agriculture with wildlife conservation was a reoccurring theme throughout the festival, where travelers were welcomed into the homes of local ranchers. You can see the festival’s official 2019 bird list here.

A Winning Strategy

A key to successful landscape-level bird conservation is engaging with private landowners and communities. In western South Dakota, rural communities come together for a broader approach to private lands conservation, through outreach and engagement. In 2019 the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) local office in Sturgis, SD was presented an award for excellence in outreach from the South Dakota NRCS state office. In part, because they value the network of agencies and organizations in the region working together to share a broader message. Outreach is important, especially to demonstrate the effectiveness of partnerships steering conservation. Private Lands Wildlife Biologist Jennifer Lutze, based in this office, works with many partners to keep birds in the conservation conversation.

ABOUT US

ENSURING A
THRIVING CONSERVANCY

Our vision for success

For more than 30 years, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies has been a leader in bird conservation across the West. Our success is in no small part due to to strong partnerships, our collaborative approach and the generosity of people just like you. Ensuring a strong organization for the future is a vital component of our strategic plan, which emphasizes sustainable and adaptive operations, investing in our people and infrastructure, and diversifying our funding streams. We ended the year nearly neutral, with a strategic investment in data analyses to advance the application of our scientific monitoring data and help guide and inform our work and that of our partners. Your gifts help ensure Bird Conservancy’s future and increase our organization’s resilience during challenging times. Thank you for being a part of our story – past, present and future!

The financial information provided here is a 2019 summary.
Detailed annual financial statements are available for download here.

Financials

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