By Vicente Rodríguez and Diana Venegas
The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is a large-scale, long-term bird monitoring program originally designed to understand population trends of various species that were affected by DDT in the middle of the 20th century. Now, with more than 30 years of accumulated data, the results from the BBS are one of the main sources of information about the health of the populations of more than 400 species of birds in North America, providing invaluable input for prioritizing the conservation needs of different species, monitoring invasive species, and evaluating the quality of habitat, among other things.
Since 2009, the National Offices of NABCI in Mexico have been working on the expansion of the BBS. In the first phase, they are working in the states in northern Mexico as this is the part of the country that is most similar to the rest of North America with respect to breeding seasons of most bird species. In the coming phases they plan to adapt the protocols to the rest of Mexico. Meanwhile, program volunteers in northern Mexico have supported the BBS with their knowledge of the region and efforts in the field, covering one or more routes during the months of May, June, and July. Currently the regional BBS coordinators are looking for volunteers to conduct surveys on new routes (all have been reviewed and are safe). If you would like to participate in the BBS program in Mexico, please contact Diana Venegas for the Sonoran Joint Venture region or René Valdés for the Rio Grande Joint Venture region.