Partners In Flight was launched in 1990 in response to growing concerns about declines in the populations of many land bird species, and in order to emphasize the conservation of birds not covered by existing conservation initiatives. The initial focus was on species that breed in the Nearctic (North America) and winter in the Neotropics (Central and South America), but the focus has spread to include most landbirds and other species requiring terrestrial habitats.

Strengthened linkages with other conservation efforts is leading, at least in some cases, to comprehensive conservation efforts for the entire avifauna. The central premise of Partners In Flight (PIF) has been that the resources of public and private organizations in North and South America must be combined, coordinated, and increased in order to achieve success in conserving bird populations in this hemisphere.

Partners In Flight is a cooperative effort involving partnerships among federal, state and local government agencies, philanthropic foundations, professional organizations, conservation groups, industry, the academic community, and private individuals. Currently partners include 16 federal agencies, 40 nongovernment organizations (NGOs), over 60 state and provincial fish and wildlife agencies, numerous universities, and the forest industry, and the list is growing daily.