Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy

Buenos Aires NWR and Altar Valley COA

This COA is comprised of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and adjacent lands in the Altar Valley. In 1985 the Buenos Aires Ranch was purchased by USFWS for conservation of the endangered masked bobwhite quail. Much of this COA consists of sprawling semidesert grasslands. Some areas provide seasonal wetlands and other aquatic habitats. Thanks to cooperation between private landowners and public agencies, the area offers sprawling areas of quality Sonoran desertscrub habitats, and his home to a robust breeding population of cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl. Along with the adjacent COAs, such as Coyote-Baboquivari and Atascosa Highlands, Buenos Aires NWR is an integral part of in-tact habitat blocks that provide important wildlife connectivity areas across the international border with Mexico.

Conservation Goals

  • Identify and conserve areas known as stopover and breeding habitats for migratory birds and support their full life-cycle conservation through international collaborations that address threats to their migration and wintering habitats in Mexico, Central America, and beyond.
  • Foster binational cooperation with individuals, organizations, and agencies to strengthen endangered species management and habitat connectivity

Map

Primary Threats

3. Climate Change and Severe Weather

3.1: Habitat shifting and alteration
3.2: Droughts

7. Human Intrusions and Disturbance

7.3: Work and other activities

8. Invasive and Other Problematic Species

8.1: Invasive non-native species

Potential Conservation Actions

2. Land and Water Management

2.1: Site/area management
  • Identify and conserve areas known as stopover and breeding habitats for migratory birds and support their full life-cycle conservation through international collaborations that address threats to their migration and wintering habitats in Mexico, Central America and beyond.
  • Design lighting and other security infrastructure along the borderlands that minimize disturbance to wildlife, but meet the needs of the Department of Homeland Security.
2.2: Invasive/problematic species control
  • Remove non-native, undesirable, and/or invasive wildlife and plant species, including American bullfrogs
2.3: Habitat and natural process restoration
  • Identify wildlife corridors essential to movements between high quality habitat blocks.

3. Species Management

3.1: Management of specific species of concern
  • Continue with masked bobwhite recovery measures, including breeding, fostering, and reintroduction.
  • Improve management and restoration of agave species to provide resources and migration corridors for lesser long-nosed bat and other pollinator species.

7. External Capacity Building

7.2: Alliance and partnership development
  • Work with federal and state agencies to address the critical need for wildlife movement across the international border with Mexico, and help design any necessary border barriers to improve wildlife movement.

1. Land and Water Protection

1.2: Resource and habitat protection
  • Develop conservation easements on public or private lands in order to maintain and protect wildlife corridors and buffer quality wildlife habitat.

Habitats Present

Strategy Species

Amphibians

Chiricahua Leopard Frog, Lowland Burrowing Treefrog, Sinaloan Narrow-mouthed Toad, Sonoran Desert Toad, Sonoran Green Toad

Birds

Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow, Bendire's Thrasher, Buff-collared Nightjar, Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Canyon Towhee, Elf Owl, Long-eared Owl, Northern Masked Bobwhite, Montezuma Quail, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Northern Harrier, Prairie Falcon, Scaled Quail, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Invertebrates

Baboquivari Talussnail

Mammals

Antelope Jackrabbit, California Leaf-nosed Bat, Fringed Myotis, Jaguar, Lesser Long-nosed Bat, Mexican Long-tongued Bat, Pale Townsend's Big-eared Bat, Pocketed Free-tailed Bat, Underwood's Mastiff Bat, Western Red Bat, Western Yellow Bat

Reptiles

Arizona Mud Turtle, Canyon Spotted Whiptail, Gila Monster, Mexican Gartersnake, Sonoran Desert Tortoise, Tiger Rattlesnake

Fish

See Associated Aquatic COAs for fish species.

Protected Areas and Other Areas of Conservation Value

  • Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge

Potential Partners

  • US Fish and Wildlife Service
  • US Geological Survey
  • The Nature Conservancy
  • Arizona Antelope Foundation
  • Sonoran Joint Venture
  • Altar Valley Conservation Alliance
  • Friends of Buenos Aires NWR
  • Bat Conservation International

Relevant Conservation Plans

Associated Aquatic COAs

  • No associated Aquatic COAs