Grasslands birds are declining more than any other group of North American birds.
As a result, at least 27 species are considered among the highest of conservation
priorities by major bird conservation initiatives. Causes for most declines are
poorly understood but likely stem from changes in the quantity and quality of required
habitats across their geographic range.
Twenty-nine of 34 grassland-obligate species that breed in the western Great Plains
over-winter in the limited grasslands of the Chihuahuan Desert. Only the three prairie
grouse species, and Swainson’s Hawk and Upland Sandpiper which winter in South America,
do not depend on Chihuahuan Grasslands in winter (although the latter two do depend
on these grasslands during migration). This globally important region, a full two-thirds
of which lies in Mexico, is less than 15% grassland, and only a fraction of that
is suitable for most grassland specialists. Many Chihuahuan Grasslands have been
radically altered, historically and recently, through conversion to crop land, fragmentation,
desertification, shrub encroachment, and exotic grasses. Given that a major proportion
of the global population of these species likely concentrates into highly restricted
habitats in winter, processes that affect wintering habitat suitability grounds
could be driving population declines of many species. However, wintering grassland
birds in the Chihuahuan Desert are among the least studied of all birds in both
the U.S. and Mexico.
Sadly, the conversion of Chihuahuan Desert grasslands to cropland has recently begun
to accelerate in Mexico, especially in Chihuahua. Since 2005, nearly 1 million acres
in Chihuahua have been converted to irrigated agriculture, much of it illegally.
This recent surge in agricultural conversion could drive Chihuahua’s desert-dwelling
Aplomado Falcons and Mexican Pronghorn into extinction in the next few years, while
it also severely impacts other grassland species. RMBO is working with partners
in Mexico and the U.S. through all possible avenues to stop these destructive practices.
To help support RMBO’s conservation programs in Chihuahuan Desert grasslands, click here.
A brief history
RMBO began working in Chihuahuan Desert grasslands in 1996 in an effort to better
understand distributions and habitat associations of wintering grassland birds in
the region. This project resulted in the publication of three reports (see links
below) and helped increase awareness about the importance of this region for grassland
birds from western North America. Since then, conservation interest in this region
has increased significantly, both in Mexico and internationally. This early work
also laid the foundation for future collaborations between RMBO and conservation
partners in Mexico.
In 2006, in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy and other organizations, RMBO
led a bi-national effort to develop and implement a wintering grassland bird survey
and monitoring program in eight Grassland Priority Conservation Areas (GPCAs) in
Mexico. These GPCAs were identified through a tri-national conservation planning
process involving many grassland bird experts. They represent what are believed
to be the highest quality and most important remaining grasslands in Mexico and
are therefore intended as focus areas for grassland biodiversity conservation. However,
few data exist on grassland bird abundance, seasonality and habitat use in most
GPCAs to guide bird conservation decisions even among these few areas.
In January 2007, in cooperation with ornithologists from the Universidad Autónoma
de Nuevo Leon and several other Mexican universities and NGOs, RMBO led a pilot
effort to survey the GPCAs. We trained 15 biologists from six institutions and together
implemented 468 randomly-selected 1-km transects in seven GPCAs across six states.
The results demonstrated different distributional patterns across species, and identified
key grassland habitat characteristics important to large suites of species. Read
the pilot report here.
In 2008, after some minor refinements to our study design and methodologies, we
implemented a full-blown field effort at over 490 sites in eight GPCAs across seven
states, from Sonora to San Luis Potosí. Check back soon for results from the 2008
winter field season.
New projects
Through new collaborations with Sul Ross University, National Park Service, and
Sonoran Joint Venture, RMBO is expanding the Chihuahuan Desert winter grassland
bird survey and monitoring project in 2009 to include new grassland sites in West
Texas, southern New Mexico, southern Chihuahua, and northeast Sonora. We will also
step-up education and outreach efforts through free distribution of a Spanish-language
“Pocket Guide to Chihuahuan Grassland Birds”. These guides will be handed out to
landowners in Mexico whose lands we are working on, as well as other audiences.
We also plan to expand our research on grassland bird habitat use, survival and
home range in Mexico through use of radio-telemetry. Check back in the coming months
for updates on these projects.
Action Plan for Grassland Conservation
and Sustainable Use of the State of Chihuahua 2011-2016
This Action Plan offers a reference framework—developed through stakeholder consensus—to align, articulate and implement grassland sustainable use and management actions in the State of Chihuahua. The overall goal is not only to help in making more sustainable the productive activities related to grasslands, but also, to maintain and/or to restore their capacity to provide the environmental services vital to the Chihuahuan society (e.g., aquifer recharge, carbon sequestration and biodiversity). This document represents a first collaborative effort at a State level among producers, researchers and students all with the same goal: to care, to restore and sustainably use grasslands. The vision and general objectives of this Action Plan followed the philosophy and conceptual framework provided by the Strategy for the Conservation of Grasslands of the Chihuahuan Desert (ECOPAD, 2007).
Action Plan for Grassland Conservation and Sustainable Use of the State of Chihuahua 2011-2016 (1.9MB)
Press communication (24 KB)
Available reports:
Wintering birds
in mexican grasslands_1996 pilot report.pdf
Wintering birds in mexican
grasslands_1997 report.pdf
Wintering birds
in mexican grasslands_1998 final report.pdf
Chihuahuan
Desert wintering grassland bird 2007 technical report - final.pdf
Chihuahuan Desert wintering grassland bird 2008 technical report - final.pdf
Wintering Bird Density and Habitat Use in Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands 2007-2009
For More Information:
arvind.panjabi@rmbo.org
230 Cherry Street
Fort Collins, CO 80521
(970) 482-1707
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Short-eared Owls are locally common in winter in Chihuahuan Grasslands
(photo Bill Schmoker)
Mexican Prairie Dog colonies in southern Coahuila provide habitat
seasonally for Mountain Plovers, Upland Sandpipers, and the critically endangered
Worthen’s Sparrow
(Photo Arvind Panjabi)
Sprague’s Pipits have declined by more than 80% globally since
1966
(Photo Bill Schmoker)
RMBO and partners practice measuring grassland characteristics
during a training course in Chihuahuan Desert grasslands in northeast Sonora, Mexico.
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