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Investing en Neotropicai Migrants 



A Partnership of the Americas 



EACH SPRING, the United States 

 and Canada are literally 

 invaded by more than 350 

 species of migratory birds that 

 have wintered in Mexico, Central 

 America, South America, and the West 

 Indies. Many of these species, called 

 Neotropical migrants, are among 

 birdwatchers' favorites: hawks, swal- 

 lows, orioles, tanagers, flycatchers, 

 grosbeaks, warblers, and vireos. They 

 are also important indicators of ecosys- 

 tem health in both North and Latin 

 America. 



Long-term studies indicate that 

 populations of many Neotropical 

 migrants are declining — a result of lost, 

 fragmented, or deteriorated habitat on 

 northern breeding grounds, on southern 

 wintering areas, and along migration 

 routes. The problem is complex; these 

 350 or so species breed in, migrate 

 through, or winter in more than a dozen 

 countries. Despite declining bird 

 populations, the challenge of developing 

 an effective conservation program for 

 this shared international resource has 

 stymied the conservation community for 

 decades. 



The National Fish and Wildlife 

 Foundation changed all this in 1990. 

 Where others saw obstacles, the Foun- 

 dation saw opportunity — the chance to 

 build a truly cooperative and compre- 

 hensive international conservation 

 program for migratory birds. Based on 

 partnerships and cooperation among a 

 diversity of public and private interests 

 and primed with private-sector invest- 

 ments, our initiative for Neotropical 

 migrants provides a model of innovative 

 conservation efforts for the 21st century. 



The Foundation's program. Partners 

 in Flight ( Companems de Vuelo), 

 stresses "conservation when it should be 

 done" — that is, before species and their 

 habitats become threatened or endan- 

 gered. It seeks to mobilize the United 

 States' estimated 60 million birdwatchers 

 into an organized and effective conser- 



vation support group. Farmers in Flight 

 promotes simultaneous conservation on 

 North American breeding grounds, along 

 migration routes, and on Latin American 

 wintering grounds. It is also a habitat- 

 based initiative, encouraging conserva- 

 tion of both natural and managed lands 



Tl}e yellow warbler family (top) and the 

 osprey (left) are among the beneficiaries 

 of the Foundation 's Partners in Flight 

 initiative. 



that benefit Neotropical migratory birds, 

 endemic species, and all biological 

 diversity. First and foremost, however, it 

 is a cooperative program that marshals 

 the resources of diverse organizations 

 (including corporate America) into a 

 I < )ordinated body, thereby reducing 

 program overiap and improving the 

 efficiency and effectiveness of national 

 and local conservation programs. 



In 1992, the fledgling Farmers in 

 Flight initiative became firmly estab- 

 lished as an international conservation 

 program. The Foundation funded 41 

 migratory bird projects last year, commit- 

 ting $1,118,000 in federal funds, which 

 were matched by $1,708,263 in 

 nonfederal funds. Projects funded since 

 the program's inception total 75. Four- 

 teen federal agencies, all 50 state fish 

 and wildlife agencies. 22 nongovern- 

 mental conservation organizations, the 



