American Bird Conservancy

ABC is the Western Hemisphere's bird conservation specialist — the only organization with a single and steadfast commitment to achieving conservation results for birds and their habitats throughout the Americas.

Creating nature reserves is one of the most important ways to save rare birds like Blue-billed Curassow and benefit migratory birds like Cerulean Warbler—along with an abundance of other biodiversity. ABC's reserves span 15 countries and protect over 400,000 hectares (1 million acres).

This approach has been a hallmark of American Bird Conservancy's Migratory Birds project since 1998, when ABC helped Mexican partner Bosque Antiguo establish the 100-hectare El Carricito reserve to protect Thick-billed Parrots and Military Macaws in upland pine-oak forests of western Mexico. Today, El Carricito totals 10,000 hectares and also provides habitat for more than 200 migratory birds, including Western Tanager and Rufous Hummingbird.

From small beginnings come great things: In December 2014, ABC worked with Brazilian partner Aquasis to create the organization's 66th reserve, which increases habitat protection for the critically endangered Araripe Manakin. ABC's success in building the Latin American Reserve Network is the result of partnership—a fundamental aspect of ABC—among local conservation groups, government agencies, and financial supporters.

ABC has now created more than 70 reserves, celebrated the 10th anniversary of ABC's reserve network, and welcomed more than 25,000 people to these special places. The goal is to create new reserves and expand existing reserves to conserve all unprotected endangered bird species in the Americas. It is ambitious, but in fact ABC is already halfway there.

ABC's reserve network ranges from seasonally flooded savannas of Bolivia’s Barba Azul Reserve (home to Blue-throated Macaws, shown) to Atlantic Forest reserves like Stresemann’s Bristlefront. Together, the reserves protect close to half of the 4,415 birds found in the Americas; 29 of them are AZE species such as Long-whiskered Owlet and Lear’s Macaw. More than 200 are migratory species, ranging from Golden-winged Warbler to American Redstart.

Rio Canande Reserve, managed by ABC partner Fundación Jocotoco, protects nearly 2,500 hectares of forest in the highly threatened Chocó region of northwestern Ecuador. About 25 percent of the species found in this region are found nowhere else on Earth, including Long-wattled Umbrellabird (shown); many declining species, like Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, also find refuge here.

With a Brazilian partner, Aquasis, ABC created the first-ever bird reserves for the critically endangered Araripe Manakin (shown), a six-inch bird only discovered in 1996 that numbers fewer than 800 individuals and survives in the smallest of areas—2,800 hectares—in northeastern Brazil. This reserve provides hope for the species’ future.

With ABC's Colombian partner Fundación ProAves, El Paujil Reserve was established in 2004 to protect the rare Blue-billed Curassow (shown). In 2010, the reserve was expanded to nearly 6,000 hectares, benefiting the curassow and other endangered residents such as the White-mantled Barbet and Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant, along with wintering migrants like the Black-and-white Warbler.

The Antisanilla Reserve is home to about half of Ecuador’s rare Andean Condors (shown). In 2014, ABC and dozens of partners, including Fundación Jocotoco and Ecuadorian agencies, completed a 2,000-hectare land purchase that added to the 720,000 hectares of protected habitat in the region.

ABC projects on the Golden-winbged Warbler, Bicknell's thrust, Guatemala's Conservation Coast, Ecuador's forests, and the Cerulean Warbler are featured on Initiative 20x20's Restoration Projects page.

Projects:

Cerulean Warbler Corridor

Wildlife-friendly crops on the Conservation Coast

Conserving Bicknell’s Thrush through reforestation

Protecting endemic species with private reserves

Golden-winged Warbler Conservation in Nicaragua

Country