We then searched for hemispheric spatial layers that could be used to represent a threat or groups of threats. Because many of the human activities that present threats to birds also present a component of the solution, we adopted the term “conservation challenge” to convey both the risk and opportunity associated with each of these activities. We then lumped these 85 threats into a smaller number of categories that represented larger groups of human activities (e.g., forest management or surface water management). In cases where a threat was scored as relevant for one species, but there was no information for a similar species, we extrapolated relevance to the similar species that lacked information. We began by using a standard framework of threats (also used by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), BirdLife International, and the Conservation Measures Partnership) to generate a list of 85 threats to migratory birds and score the relevance of each threat to each species of migratory bird.

Mapping Methods Identifying and Mapping the Footprint of Conservation Challenges See the eBird Status maps and methods for more details. The extent of the prediction area varies by week, and data gaps tend to affect areas that are most sparsely populated (e.g., the Canadian far north, the upper Amazon basin). The eBird Status models occasionally have spatial and temporal gaps in areas or weeks when observation data are too scarce to generate accurate predictions. Because of these limitations, understanding the severity and impact of a conservation challenge at a site requires additional local knowledge about the area and particular species.ĭata in these maps are a combination of eBird Status abundance models and a variety of conservation challenge layers. These maps are most appropriately interpreted as an index of exposure. While 3-km cells are fine-scale at a hemispheric extent, they are coarse at a local extent. The maps show the proportion of birds that may encounter a human activity or environmental change, based on the co-occurrence of the challenge and the species at a 3-km resolution, summarized in 50-km and 150-km hexagons. The Bird Migration Explorer does not quantify the severity of challenges or the associated impacts on bird populations. Conservation actions must be designed in the context of local conditions, and the solutions to these challenges will vary from one place to another.

Similarly, in many places where birds co-occur with forest management, foresters are already incorporating the needs of birds into how they manage the forest. Poorly sited wind turbines may cause mortality through bird collisions, yet properly sited turbines offset the use of oil and gas, which mitigates one of the greatest challenges of all for birds and people-climate change. The Conservation Challenge Maps do not distinguish between areas that are positive or negative for birds, and in some areas where birds are exposed to challenges, those challenges are already being addressed. Visualizing the extent of overlap between migratory birds and conservation challenges illustrates how critical it is that we consider birds in management activities across the hemisphere. Interpreting the Conservation Challenge Maps By visualizing where, when, and how extensively human activities co-occur with migratory birds, we can better understand the challenges birds face and explore creative solutions that will maximize benefits for birds and people. The Species Conservation Challenge Maps show where birds are exposed to the footprint of human activities and environmental changes throughout their annual migratory journey. The Conservation Challenge Maps show the footprint of human activities and environmental changes across the hemisphere. As birds migrate across the hemisphere they encounter myriad challenges.These maps are presented to bring awareness to the extent of human activities and environmental changes across the hemisphere, through the lens of migratory birds. Conservation Challenges maps are accessible on desktop and tablet.Ĭonservation challenges are human activities or environmental changes that can have positive or negative impacts on wildlife and people.

Us bird population density map