Conservation Programs

Effective bird conservation requires action across multiple fronts — protecting habitats, understanding threats, engaging communities, and advocating for policy changes. World Bird Info supports and connects these efforts worldwide.

Habitat Protection

Critical Habitats

The most effective conservation strategy is protecting the places birds need most. Key habitats include:

• Tropical forests — Home to the majority of the world's bird species; deforestation in the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia threatens thousands of species
• Grasslands — The most threatened habitat type in North America; grassland bird populations have declined by 53% since 1970
• Wetlands — Critical for waterbirds and migrants; half the world's wetlands have been lost since 1900
• Coastal zones — Nesting habitat for shorebirds, seabirds, and wading birds; threatened by development and sea-level rise

Important Bird Areas

BirdLife International has identified over 13,000 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) worldwide — sites that are critical for bird conservation. World Bird Info profiles these sites and helps birders visit and support them.

Migration Corridors

Flyway Conservation

The world's birds follow established migration routes — flyways — that cross international boundaries. Protecting stopover sites along these routes is as important as protecting breeding and wintering grounds.

• Atlantic Americas Flyway — Eastern seaboard of the Americas
• Central Americas Flyway — Great Plains and Central America
• Pacific Americas Flyway — Western Americas and Pacific coast
• East Asian-Australasian Flyway — From Siberia through East Asia to Australia

Stopover Sites

Migratory birds depend on specific locations to rest and refuel during their journeys. The loss of a single critical stopover can affect entire populations. World Bird Info maps these sites and supports efforts to protect them.

Island Conservation

Islands harbor a disproportionate share of the world's threatened birds. Many island species evolved without predators and have no defense against introduced rats, cats, and mongooses. Invasive predator removal programs — often involving careful eradication of rats from entire islands — have proven remarkably effective at allowing island bird populations to recover.

Climate Adaptation

As climate zones shift, bird ranges shift with them. Some species can adapt; others cannot. Conservation strategies must anticipate these changes by protecting climate refugia, maintaining habitat connectivity, and managing landscapes to support species as they move.

Protecting birds means protecting the ecosystems they depend on — and that we all share.