Ongoing recovery efforts for Light-footed Ridgway’s Rail include protecting and restoring salt marsh habitat and a captive breeding program, but coordination of research and conservation projects is needed across their range to address knowledge gaps and enhance effectiveness of management actions.
Invasive species, feral dogs, the surrounding urban and agricultural growth, and climate change threaten the coastal wetland of Punta Banda and the Light-footed Ridgway’s Rail. We need a protection formula that allows Ensenada to care for its landscape, because the rail’s health depends on the health of the ecosystem.
We are pleased to announce that the following projects were awarded funds for the 2019 cycle of the SJV Awards Program.
Soar into the world of Turkey Vultures, the most widely distributed and abundant of all obligate scavenging birds of prey, as researchers at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary track birds tagged in Arizona across their impressive range.
Occurring patchily and rarely, the secretive habits and cryptic plumage of the desert dwelling Bendire’s Thrasher make it difficult to detect. Facing steep population declines and a lack of knowledge about its life history, researchers are working together to learn more about their migratory pathways to aid conservation efforts.
While well studied in the U.S., abundance and distribution data for Yellow-billed Cuckoo in Mexico are lacking. Of particular significance for further study are cuckoo populations in Sonora, whose conservation and management could potentially contribute to the recovery of populations in adjacent Arizona.
We are thrilled to welcome Adam Hannuksela to the Sonoran Joint Venture as our new Science Coordinator.
The strength of the SJV comes from bringing together a diverse set of partners from both countries to share our experiences and work towards collaborative conservation actions. Here are some recent highlights that have come out of the SJV partnership.
In June 2019, the SJV Science Working Group met in Ensenada, Baja California. After two years of only being able to hold meetings in the U.S., it was especially exciting to be back in Mexico.
In May 2019, the Sonoran Joint Venture Management Board met in Imperial Beach, California. One of the highlights of board meetings are field visits with our partners.
A binational collaboration network to identify Brown Pelican conservation strategies will come together for the first time during SJV’s Science Working Group meeting in Ensenada, Mexico in early June 2019.
Like many shorebirds, the Long-billed Curlew is a migratory species that faces threats throughout its annual cycle. This project works to connect breeding and non-breeding Long-billed Curlew populations, while also facilitating binational collaborations to work toward a holistic conservation approach.
Building on the success of the Motus Wildlife Tracking System Network in the east, we plan to expand the use of this technology to meet pressing information needs for western birds to inform conservation actions within the next decade.
Nesting populations of California Least Tern and Western Snowy Plover are on the rise in Mexico thanks to collaborative conservation efforts. However, they still face many threats including loss and degradation of coastal dune habitat.
The Hummingbird Monitoring Network is working to understand hummingbird responses to change in order to provide resources and opportunities for engaging partners in hummingbird and pollination services conservation.
The 2018 pilot season of Desert Avicaching was a success! Check out some of our initial results and lessons learned from the project.
As one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country, Phoenix’s newer desert communities frequently entail water features. These artificial water bodies attract numerous species of waterbirds, prompting a need for coordinated monitoring efforts to track their status, population trends, and the potential for urban-wildlife conflict.
The coastal wetlands of northwestern Mexico are some of the most important habitat for migratory waterbirds that winter in Mexico. With funding support from the Sonoran Joint Venture’s Awards Program, a coordinated monitoring protocol was developed and implemented through a collaborative effort across priority sites to better inform conservation and management decisions.
Call to Action: Conversion of Chihuahuan Desert grasslands to agriculture is happening at an alarming rate, especially in Mexico. Partnerships facilitated by the Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (including the Sonoran and Rio Grande JV’s) are working to protect and improve remaining habitat, but there is a long way to go. Get on board to make grassland conservation in the U.S. and Mexico a top priority!
Using innovative science and collaboration between U.S. and Mexican partners, researchers and land managers are tackling how get Masked Bobwhite Quail to survive and persist on the landscape once again.