Arizona is home to approximately 550 bird species, with about 230 being migratory species that spend part of their lifecycle south of Arizona’s border. Many of these species are Neotropical migrants, species that breed in Canada and the U.S. (including Arizona) during the spring or summer, and then fly south to spend the colder months in Mexico, Central America, or beyond.
In Arizona, more than 70 Neotropical migrants are considered SGCN, including Grace’s Warbler, Botteri's Sparrow, and Rivoli's Hummingbird, just to name a few. Effective conservation of these species involves addressing threats to birds and their habitats at each step of the life cycle. South of the border, migratory birds face numerous challenges along their migration routes and on their wintering grounds, including deforestation, agricultural practices, illegal logging, pollution, and weak enforcement on protected lands. Therefore actions taken only within Arizona may not be adequate for the long-term conservation of migratory birds that spend much of their life south of the border. Investing in international conservation work is crucial for addressing the needs of migratory birds throughout their annual life-cycle.
To support full life-cycle conservation, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) established Southern Wings in 2009, a large inter-governmental collaboration that focuses on the conservation of priority migratory birds in their wintering grounds. Since 2009, more than 30 states have contributed $2.9 million to a variety of conservation efforts on stop-over sites and wintering grounds in Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Over the years, AZGFD has played an important role in Southern Wings by supporting conservation efforts that help protect key migration corridors in Mexico and Central America.
One such example is AZGFD’s work with Thick-billed Parrots, one of only two parrot species with distributions that extend into the continental United States. Once found in Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains, the Thick-billed Parrot became extirpated (locally extinct) during the 1930s and, today, is only found in Mexico.
Many Neotropical species that breed in Arizona, winter or migrate through the mixed conifer forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) of Mexico, habitats that are preferred by Thick-billed Parrots. By working to conserve Thick-billed Parrot habitat in Mexico, AZGFD would also be helping the many Neotropical migrant species that breed in Arizona.
One of AZGFD’s international collaboration—which is now a Southern Wings project—began more than 20 years ago with Pronatura Noroeste and Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey ( ITESM), and more recently, with Organización Vida Silvestre A.C. (OVIS). This collaboration between AZGFD and our partners in Mexico encompasses the following strategies: 1) species management and research, 2) habitat conservation and management, 3) community/partners engagement and outreach, and 4) dissemination of scientific information. This collaboration has resulted in the protection of a million hectares of natural areas through upgraded designations, the development of conservation plans, and the establishment of advisory councils.
By the Numbers:
Integrated criteria for the management and monitoring of biodiversity into 96 forest management plans encompassing 1,425,798 acres (577,000 hectares).
Updated timber management plans for 96 properties to segregate for conservation 375, 600 acres (152,000 hectares) with high bird habitat values.
Identified migratory routes and wintering areas of Thick-billed Parrots in the states of Durango and Nayarit, through the deployment of 20 satellite transmitters on parrots from 4 breeding populations in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Determined severity of predation events on nesting Thick-billed Parrots and deployed protective measures on nest trees to increase annual productivity.
Annual monitoring of Thick-billed Parrot nesting pairs (an average of 50 nest cavities) and flocks (about 3,000 individuals) to determine annual productivity and estimate minimum population size, respectively.