Birds & Science >

For more than a century, dating back to the birth of the environmental conservation movement, Audubon has been a voice for and practitioner of sound science, effective education, and progressive policies. Although Audubon’s mission calls for the conservation not only of birds, but also of other wildlife and their habitats and the ecosystems upon which we all depend, birds have always been a focus. Because birds forage in vast numbers across the hemisphere and their interactions as predators, pollinators, and seed dispersers make them pivotal players in ecosystem dynamics, they are excellent indicators of overall biodiversity and barometers of ecosystem health. Audubon recognizes that by working toward our conservation goals as related to birds and their habitats many other species and their corresponding habitats will be protected at the same time, and the ecosystems upon which humans also rely will be restored to health.

In New York State, Audubon’s conservation efforts strive to identify and conserve the highest priority and most threatened bird species and habitats. Audubon actively participates in bird conservation planning processes from the local to the international level to ensure that our efforts are guided by the most current and thorough scientific assessments and theory. Audubon’s identification of bird species of conservation concern in New York is based on complementary assessments conducted by several different organizations and initiatives. Appropriately, Audubon New York’s many conservation programs are designed to address the primary threats to these species, which a recent review has confirmed continues to be habitat loss and degradation, both of which are expected to accelerate with global climate change.

• In many various ways, Audubon New York works closely with local Audubon chapters, government agencies, and other conservation groups toward the protection and proper management of Important Bird Areas and other priority habitats.
• In collaboration with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and others, Audubon New York is helping private landowners to be better stewards of grassland birds and their habitats.
• Audubon New York is working with Cornell Cooperative Extension Forestry and other partners to provide private forest owners with science-based information about the effects of forest management on birds and other wildlife and to promote sustainable forest management.
• Because accurate and up-to-date information is important for assessing conservation priorities and implementing conservation programs, as well as for improving our general knowledge about birds, Audubon New York encourages the public to participate in any of several valuable citizen science programs offered by the Cornell Lab or Ornithology and others.