Now more than ever: the need for collaborative applied science for bird conservation

Since 1990, Partners in Flight (PIF) has catalyzed a paradigm shift from exclusive focus on hunted and endangered bird species toward a collaborative, hemispheric, science-based approach for reversing declines of nongame migratory birds. Setting standards for species vulnerability assessment, population size estimation, and landscape-scale conservation design, PIF Science’s databases, continental and regional plans, and other decision-support tools are the go-to resources promoting coordinated bird conservation across spatial scales, political jurisdictions, and organizational purviews. Realization that billions of birds continue to be lost from the North American avifauna necessitates a more targeted approach to recovering bird populations and redoubled efforts to protect and restore healthy ecosystems. We present a vision for collaborative applied science aimed at improving alignment among agencies and conservation organizations, filling critical knowledge gaps by integrating social and biological science, giving greater voice to Global South and Indigenous knowledge and priorities, and empowering the next generation of conservation leaders.