U.S.- MEXICO GRASSLAND BIRD CONSERVATION

Previous project phases filled key ecological knowledge gaps on the distribution, abundance, and habitat use of wintering grassland birds, identified key demographic rates and their drivers, quantified patterns of land-use change, and supported permanent protection of over 64,800 acres of habitat.

Since 2012, in coordination with local partners, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (BCR) has provided mid-term protection (15-year) and improved critical habitat for nonbreeding grassland birds in the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico by engaging landowners in voluntary habitat management and conservation through the Sustainable Grazing Network (SGN).

To date, 32 properties encompassing over 600,000 acres in four Grassland Priority Conservation Areas (GPCAs) have enrolled and been protected, and over 360,000 acres have been enhanced or restored.

BCR monitoring documented a 16%/year increase in Sprague's Pipit winter density on SGN ranches from 2014 to 2019, and in 2023 estimated a total population of over 1,000,000 wintering grassland birds on SGN grasslands.

In this next phase, partners will continue to focus activities on the conservation of nonbreeding habitat for Sprague's Pipit, Chestnut-collared Longspur and Baird's Sparrow.

Specifically, the project will: 1) protect at least another 10,000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert grasslands and shrublands through SGN enrollment, 2) enhance at least 10,000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert grasslands through improved grazing management, 3) monitor key species and other grassland bird populations across the SGN, 4) conduct outreach to engage SGN landowners in range management, 5) engage grassland owners and other stakeholders through the Encuentro Ganadero (livestock meeting) to increase collaboration among sectors and build a diverse community for grasslands conservation in northern Mexico, and 6) engage rural Mexican and Mennonite communities in Chihuahua through environmental education to foster a culture of sustainability around gras