The Project: Save Birds
[This project has been completed]

Nearly 4,500 bird species breed in the Americas. We wake to their songs, mark the seasons by their presence and are inspired by their grace. But the birds of the Americas are under threat. More than 1,000 species are now in decline or dangerously scarce. It's not just the birds that are in trouble, but the lands that sustain them - and us.

The birds of the Americas represent nearly half of the world's 10,000 bird species. They also reflect something more: the health of our ecosystems and the rich natural heritage that defines the New World. Whether migratory or resident, the birds of North America, Latin America and the Caribbean have one thing in common: loss of habitat is hurting their ability to thrive and, in some cases, to survive.

Urbanization, agricultural use and other land development in North America continue to fragment forest lands. In Latin America and the Caribbean, economic and agricultural pressures are quickly consuming lands rich in biodiversity and crucial to the survival of both native and migratory birds. The birds of the Americas belong to everyone. We must create an intercontinental network of protected lands for their survival.

The mission of Wings of the Americas is to protect critical habitats for birds of conservation concern throughout the western hemisphere. Wings of the Americas, made possible by Canon U.S.A., Inc. addresses a critical gap in the efforts of the conservation community to protect at-risk bird species of the western hemisphere.

This initiative takes full advantage of the Conservancy's unique niche in conservation: protecting habitat using the best available science. Wings of the Americas is focusing the energies of the Nature Conservancy and its partners on conserving habitats necessary to the long-term survival of both migratory and resident bird species. It draws on the Conservancy's strengths in science and habitat protection, as well as on our capacity as an international organization.

Scarlet macaw

Birds in nest

Broad-billed hummingbird

The Nature Conservancy's Wings of the Americas program is made possible by Canon U.S.A., Inc.