The conservation science program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology conducts original research on conservation related topics and provides science support for conservation planning initiatives. We work through citizen science participation in large-scale research as well as through numerous partnerships with agencies and organizations throughout the U.S. and internationally.

In the face of serious declines in many bird populations and degradation of wildlife habitats throughout North America, a new paradigm in bird conservation has focused on proactive strategies to sustain populations of still-common species before they reach threatened or endangered status. This mission of "keeping common birds common" is ultimately far less costly to government and society and benefits a wider range of wildlife resources than traditional, regulatory-based endangered species conservation programs. To be successful, this approach requires (1) a strong scientific foundation, (2) partnerships between scientists and decision makers, including all countries which are bird migration stopover locations, and (3) an informed and involved public.

The Conservation Science Program at Cornell Lab of Ornithology has taken a lead role in the bird conservation initiative Partners in Flight (PIF), an international consortium of government, academic, industry, and private organizations. Specifically, Ken Rosenberg has served as PIF regional coordinator for the northeast U.S., providing ornithological expertise, serving on numerous technical committees, facilitating conservation initiatives and projects, and producing a series of bird conservation plans for the 12 eco-physiographic regions of the Northeast (see http://www.partnersinflight.org). Our unit provides scientific leadership to assist conservation initiatives in New York and other northeastern states, as well as national and international (Canada, Cuba, and Mexico) level programs. To address specific research needs identified in the conservation planning process, we simultaneously developed and administer several citizen-science projects designed to involve the lay public in scientific study. Specifically, our Birds in Forested Landscapes Project involves over 1,000 volunteer participants at over 3,000 sites studying the effects of habitat fragmentation on forest-breeding birds. This work resulted in A Land Managers Guide to Improving Habitat for Scarlet Tanagers and other Forest-interior Birds, the first in a series of such publications aimed at private and public land-owners. Our Cerulean Warbler and Golden-winged Warbler Atlas Projects relied on several hundred participants to map distribution, determine rangewide status, and identify key sites for conservation of these high-priority bird species.

The science-based conservation plans that we and others within Partners in Flight have produced have helped to spur a huge change in the conservation infrastructure of the U.S., including increased attention and funding for non-game bird species within public agencies, unprecedented partnerships among previously adversarial groups such as conservation organizations and the forest products industry, and greatly increased awareness of bird conservation issues among the academic community and the general public. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology`s conservation program can trace its impact directly through the scientific credibility of these activities, which have resulted in policy changes, numerous new partnerships, and ultimately in thousands of acres of bird habitat conserved. Our citizen-science research projects have informed and enlightened hundreds of public participants in helping to resolve important bird conservation issues -- among the tens of thousands of participants affected by the Lab of Ornithology`s more general citizen-science program. Specific results of these projects have directly influenced on-the-ground conservation. For example, 10,000 acres of forested habitat for Cerulean Warblers was acquired by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Department, as a direct result of identifying critical areas during the Cerulean Warbler Atlas Project.

Public Involvement in Science-Based Conservation

• Private/Other (e.g., unrestricted funds, commodity groups, foundations, companies)
• State or Municipal (e.g., NYSDAM)
• Conservation planning work has been funded largely through a Federal Aid grant administered by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Additional funding for the conservation program comes from Cornell Lab of Ornithology membership donations and contributions. Our citizen-science program is funded through a combination of grants from National Science Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and numerous smaller contracts with state governments or other organizations.

• Stefan Hames
• John Fitzpatrick
• Christopher Clark
• Jon Andrew
• Eduardo Inigo
• Randy Dettmers
• David Pashley
• Michael Burger