The North American Bird Conservation Initiative
"All Birds In All Habitats"

What is NABCI?
NABCI is a coalition of a great number of governmental agencies, private organizations, academic organizations, and private industry leaders in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It was formed to address the need for coordinated bird conservation efforts that will benefit "all birds in all habitats." NABCI aims to ensure the long-term health of North America’s native bird populations by increasing the effectiveness of existing and new bird conservation initiatives, enhancing coordination among the initiatives, and fostering greater cooperation among the continent’s three national governments and their people.

NABCI's approach to bird conservation is regionally-based, biologically driven, and landscape-oriented. It draws together the major bird conservation plans already in existence for waterbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl, and landbirds, fills in knowledge gaps, and builds a coalition of groups and agencies to execute the plans. You can learn a great deal about the North American Bird Conservation Initiative in the US by visiting its Web site; an additional site summarizing international issues will also soon be available.

ABC's Role in NABCI

Pintail Duck. Photo: USFWS

American Bird Conservancy applauds the contributions that many individuals, agencies, and organizations have made to the growth and success of NABCI, and, at the same time, is proud to claim that no other entity has made a commitment and contribution to NABCI equal to that of ABC.

ABC has been committed to NABCI since well before its inception. ABC was present at the first meeting in the long process that led to the formation of NABCI, held in Montreal in 1996, and ABC's represented the U.S. non-governmental organization community throughout the years prior to its inception. David served as U.S. NABCI Coordinator from 1998 until early 2003, and continues to serve as a NABCI Committee member, one of three U.S. representatives to the Trinational NABCI Committee, and co-chair of the NABCI NGO Subcommittee.

Every "Bird Conservation Region" and "Joint Venture" should have the capacity to effectively deliver the full spectrum of bird conservation, and in some cases, new staff will be necessary to reach that end. ABC has hired coordinators for the Northern Rockies, Northern Pacific Rainforest, and Central Hardwoods BCRs. ABC continues to work with other partners to support BCR Coordinators and Joint Venture support staff in the Great Basin, Shortgrass Prairie, West Gulf Coastal Plain, Boreal Hardwood Transition, and California. You can learn more regarding the contributions of the ABC BCR Coordinators in the near future when individual pages detailing the work being done there are added to this site. More on ABC's role in NABCI.