MT Bird Conservation Partnership

The Montana Bird Conservation Partnership is a group of individuals representing governmental, tribal, nongovernmental, and private organizations dedicated to bird conservation in Montana. Our goal is to facilitate statewide implementation of the four National bird initiatives, Partner’s in Flight, Waterbirds, Waterfowl, and Shorebirds, and the overarching North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI).

Guiding Principles

Provide information to collaborating partners for consideration in land management decisions.

Keep common birds and their habitats common so that they do not become endangered, threatened, or rare.

Conserve, protect, and restore endangered, threatened, and rare bird species and their habitats so their populations are again secure.

Recognize the social and economic value of birds to the people of Montana.

Identify opportunities to conserve birds and their habitats within Montana using the best available science.

Current Objectives:

1. Develop and implement a coordinated bird monitoring program for all birds in Montana

2. Facilitate conservation and restoration of important bird habitats throughout the state

3. Consolidate information on energy development and birds to better inform land management and policy decisions

4. Disseminate information on bird conservation to traditional and nontraditional audiences

Coordinated Bird Monitoring

Monitoring provides information on bird population status and distribution that can be used to inform management decisions. The Montana Bird Conservation Partnership has drafted a Coordinated Bird Monitoring Plan (.pdf, 1Mb). We are now following steps outlined in the Northeast Bird Monitoring Handbook (.pdf, 1Mb) to implement portions of that plan. Details on the status of Montana’s implementation can be found in our Montana Bird Monitoring Planning Process document (.doc, 221 Kb). In 2009 we participated in a pilot landbird monitoring project (.pdf, 68Kb, coming soon) that covered Bird Conservation Region 17. BCR 17 includes southeastern Montana, and portions of North and South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska. We also implemented a statewide inventory of colonial nesting waterbirds that we hope will lead to a regional monitoring program. Our work is supplemented by special species (e.g., peregrine falcons and bald eagles) and game bird monitoring conducted by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Habitat Conservation

The Montana Bird Conservation Partnership is working with the Joint Ventures in Montana to prioritize and implement habitat conservation delivery. There are three Joint Ventures that cover Montana: the Intermountain West, Northern Great Plains, and Prairie Pothole Joint Ventures. We are developing or energizing state steering committees for the different Joint Ventures to better engage local partners. Our July 21, 2009 meeting in Malta focused on habitat conservation and opportunities for collaboration between the Joint Ventures and Montana Bird Conservation Partnership. Please see the July 21 meeting notes for additional details.

The following is some information on grants and programs that support habitat conservation delivery.

Farm bill guide

NAWCA

IWJV capacity grants

Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Grants program

Habitat Montana

Energy and Birds

Members of the Montana Bird Conservation Partnership have been tracking and sharing information on energy development and bird conservation. Some recent publications are posted here:

WIND and BIRDS

An Ecological Risk Assessment of Wind
Energy Development in Montana (TNC 2009)
DRAFT Wind Energy Siting Policy Guidance Document - Janet Ellis. Nov 2007
Wind Power-Related Resources at
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Papers from Journal of Wildlife Management 2007

Assessing Impacts of Wind-Energy Development on Nocturnally Active Birds and Bats: A Guidance Document
Wind Energy Development and Wildlife Conservation:
Challenges and Opportunities
Estimating Wind Turbine–Caused Bird Mortality

Education and Outreach

We are working toward better dissemination of bird conservation goals and objectives through presentations to community and professional organizations, a new Fish, Wildlife and Parks web page (coming soon!), and press releases of our activities. We are planning MBCP participation in International Migratory Bird Day in 2010. Please check back for more details later this winter.

We also have a partial list of best management practices and strategies for conserving birds.

What you can do to protect Ospreys from baling twine hazards