The Institute for Bird Populations is an excellent organization for those interested in studying, what else, bird population trends and the development of conservation programs. Their web site is chock full of information on a variety of topics, including links to recent research publications. Their programs include:
Information on the MAPS program
The MAPS Program is a continent-wide collaborative effort among public agencies, non-governmental groups, and individuals to assist the conservation of birds and their habitats through demographic monitoring.
The MoSI Program
MoSI is a collaborative, international network of bird monitoring stations across the northern Neotropics that bolsters conservation efforts through population monitoring. Since 2002, the program has operated more than 200 stations in 15 countries to help answer questions such as:
Pacific Islands Bird Conservation
Birds of the Pacific Northwest National Parks
Ranging from sea level to the top of 14,410’ Mount Rainier, the national parks of the Pacific Northwest encompass a stunning diversity of species and ecosystems, including temperate rainforests, rugged, undeveloped coastline, and glaciated peaks. Much of these are within vast tracts of roadless mountainous and forested areas.
In summer IBP deploys a crew of expert bird surveyors, who conduct point counts of all bird species heard and seen at pre-selected, mostly off-trail locations that are visited year after year.
The web site lists both paid and volunteer position for some of the spring surveys.
Great Gray Owl by Elaine Wilson.
Molt and plumage studies
Bird bander training
Burrowing Owl research and monitoring in California.
Black-backed Woodpecker. © Glenn Bartley
The Institute is home to the Sierra Nevada Bird Observatory.
The organization uses an array of research, monitoring, and conservation initiatives aimed at strengthening bird conservation in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. They use cutting-edge science, long-term population monitoring, short-term surveys, and thoughtful conservation planning – often in close partnership with federal, state, and private land managers – to develop practical solutions to conservation and land management challenges. The end goal is to help land managers safeguard at-risk bird species, ensure continued robust populations of common species, and promote good stewardship of the natural resources that birds require throughout the Sierra Nevada region.
Current studies focus on the Black-backed Woodpecker, the Great Gray Owl (in California) and the Willow Flycatcher.
An online, searchable database of 158 land bird species based on information from their MAPS program.
