actforsongbirds

1. Act for SongbirdsThe Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Saving Migratory Birds for Future Generations www.actforsongbirds.org

2. Benefits of Birds • Birds add joy to the lives of many • Birds are pollinators • Birds act as pest control • Birds are frequently considered indicators of the health of our environment

3. Birds and the Economy 46 million Americans contribute $32 billion to the U.S. economy each year through the sport of wildlife and bird watching

4. Birds are Important Birds play an important role in maintaining the ecosystems on which humans depend to maintain our quality of life Kathleen Lich: Alicia King

5. Birds and Agriculture • Insect and rodent control • Plant pollination • Seed dispersal There is value in sustaining birds and their habitats! Great- horned Owl: ClipArt.com Ruby-throated Hummingbird; Laura Graham

6. Migratory Birds Like many migratory birds, this Cerulean Warbler travels thousands of miles every year from its breeding grounds to its wintering grounds south of the U.S. Border Cerulean Warbler: Barth Schorre

7. Migratory Bird Trends Migratory bird populations are declining due to human hazards including loss or degradation of: habitat on breeding and wintering grounds Indigo Bunting: Barth Schorre

8. Threats to Birds • Habitat loss/fragmentation • Collisions with Structures • Pesticides/contaminants • Climate Change • Introduced Predators (cats) • Human Activities (sprawl)

9. Threats to Birds • Estimated 2.5 billion birds killed inadvertently due to human activities in the U.S. every year • 2 million acres of bird habitat are lost to development in the U.S. each year • These pose grave risks across all regions and habitats Habitat fragmentation: Mike Parr

10. Threats to Birds Migratory birds are particularly vulnerable because they depend on multiple habitats and sites Townsend’s Warbler: Peter LaTourrette, www.birdphotography.com

11. Threats to Birds Birds most at risk: • restricted ranges • limited ability to move • small populations • facing multiple conservation challenges Marbled Godwit: Tom Grey

12. The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act NMBCA passed in 2000. Designates funding in Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada, and the U.S. for: • habitat protection • education • research • monitoring birds Wilson’s Warbler: Barth Schorre

13. The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act The NMBCA grant program was established with the goals of… American White Pelicans: Eleanor Briccetti

14. NMBCA Goals • Perpetuating healthy populations of Neotropical migratory birds • Supporting conservation initiatives in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean • Providing financial resources and fostering international cooperation Swainson’s Hawk: Peter LaTourrette, www.birdphotography.com

15. NMBCA Goals • The program provides a competitive, matching grants, and requires a 3 to 1 match So for every $1 received in grant funds, the applicant must raise an additional $3 in partner funds Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Jim Scarff Painted Bunting; Barth Schorre

16. NMBCA Authorized Funding • Initially authorized at $5 million per year • Its first appropriation was $3 million Western Tanager: Dan Casey, ABC

17. NMBCA Authorized Funding • Current authorization is $6 million per year - • 2004 – 2007 appropriations were $4 million • 2008 appropriation is $4.5 million Least Tern: Ralph Wright Bicknell’s Thrush: George Jett

18. NMBCA Funding • More than $21 million from NMBCA grants have leveraged over $97 million in matching contributions • Far exceeds the 3 to 1 match! Snowy Plover: Tom Grey Black-capped Vireo: Bill Hubick

19. NMBCA Funding • Land conservation projects have helped improve about three million acres of bird habitat Common Yellow Throat: Gary Smyle

20. NMBCASubmitted Requests • Quality project proposal requests far exceed available funding • A significant funding increase is needed to support growing conservation needs

21. NMBCA Funding • At least 75% of NMBCA funding supports projects in Latin American countries (where there is almost no available funding for bird conservation) • Up to 25% may be used for projects in the United States • 100% goes to U.S. migratory birds! Scarlet Tanager: Greg Lavaty

22. NMBCA Awarded Grants • Grants have been awarded to conservation programs in 44 U.S. states, Canada 33 other countries in Latin America, and the Caribbean

23. NMBCAProviding Effective Cooperation • Nations, states, local governments, and other entities work together cooperatively for the protection of Neotropical migratory birds in the Western Hemisphere Buff-breasted Sandpiper: Gary Smyle

24. NMBCA A Successful Program • The Act has a proven record of making a difference for Neotropical migratory birds. For example… Wood Thrush: ClipArt.com

25. Successful ProjectsIncreasing Bird Conservation Capacity in the Bahamas Funded in 2006 at $18,300 and matched by $67,100 for support of Bahamians trained in natural resources management and in implementing conservation programs Kirtland’s Warbler: Huron Manistee National Forest Grantee: The Nature Conservancy

26. Successful Projects Create Two Bird Conservation Areas Funded in 2005 at $55,041 and $165,124 matching funds to restore public hayfields and degraded grasslands on outskirts of Chicago to benefit grassland birds. Bobolink: Pennsylvania Game Commission Grantee: Audubon-Chicago Region Partner: Corporation for Open Lands

27. Successful Projects Monitoring Migratory Raptors as KeyIndicators of Ecosystem Quality Funded in 2007 at $83,050 and $255,799 matching funds for online data-collection and large-scale analysis of raptor populations in multiple sites throughout the United States; Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec; State of Veracruz, Mexico. Swainson’s Hawk: Greg Lavaty Grantee: Hawk Migration Association of North America Partners: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and HawkWatch International

28. Successful Projects Protecting Habitat for Oak-DependentSpecies in Latin America Funded in 2007 at $156,600 and matched by $516,000 to protect over 11,000 acres of wintering habitat in Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico for Endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler and threatened Golden-winged Warbler Golden-cheeked Warbler: Al Perry Grantee: American Bird Conservancy Partners: Pronatura Chiapas, SalvaNatura, and Costa Rica’s National Institute of Biodiversity

29. Successful Projects Creating a Protected Area Network for Migratory Birds in Colombia Funded in 2003-2008 at $598,954 and matched by $3,197,088 to establish a network of 38 monitoring stations, 12 bird reserves (over 35,000 acres) and conduct outreach education Cerulean Warbler: George Jett Partners; Fundación ProAves and American Bird Conservancy

30. NMBCA Report Success and Need The American Bird Conservancy NMBCA Report details: • Trends in bird populations • Threats to birds • Successful Projects MacGillivray’s Warbler: Ted Ardley

31. NMBCA A Successful Program • Support is needed to continue to grow the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grants program and increase its funding Western Tanager: Peter LaTourrette www.birdphotography.com

32. Act for Songbirds Make sure Neotropical migratory birds are conserved for future generations Kathleen Lich: Alicia King

33. Support House Bill H.R. 5756 and Senate Bill S. 3490 to reauthorize NMBCA • Increase to $10 million by 2010 & $20 million by 2015

34. For more information contact Alicia King at aking@abcbirds.org or 202-234-7181 Summer Tanager;:Barth Schorre