U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Program Focal Species Strategy

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s The BMC list refl ects the results Migratory Bird Program initiated a of extensive consultations with Focal Species strategy for migratory partners and processes and criteria birds to better measure its success established over many years. This in achieving its bird conservation list is dynamic and is revised as priorities and mandates. The Focal new information concerning species Species strategy involves campaigns status becomes available. To select for selected species to provide Focal Species, the Migratory explicit, strategic, and adaptive sets Bird Program identifi es species of conservation actions required to from the BMC list that need return the species to healthy and investment because they: 1) have sustainable levels. high conservation need, 2) are representative of a broader group Lesser Scaup The Service remains committed to of species sharing the same or Photo Credit: Dave Menke USFWS landscape-scale, integrated bird similar conservation needs, 3) act as conservation for the full array of a potential unifi er for partnerships, solicit support and cooperation from species of management concern. and/or 4) have a high likelihood partners inside and outside the The Focal Species approach is just that factors affecting status can be Service. one component of the Migratory realistically addressed. Bird Program and complements other work on migratory birds and Considering a combination of Partner Support their habitats. characteristics possessed by the The engagement of partners and species, status of management stakeholders is essential for creation The goal of the Focal Species planning, and expert opinion, and implementation of action plans strategy is to measure the success and with due consideration to and for existing work in support in achieving bird conservation and external factors that might affect, of maintaining or increasing the to increase accountability. either positively or negatively, number of species of migratory the Service’s ability to enhance birds at healthy and sustainable migratory bird populations, Focal levels. Contact the Regional Species are identifi ed over the short Migratory Bird Offi ces, the Division term to receive specifi c attention. of Migratory Bird Management, These species/populations are not or the website http://www.fws.gov/ the only ones that meet the criteria, migratorybirds/CurrentBirdIssues/ but are species the Migratory Bird Management/FocalSpecies.html Program will focus conservation for more information on the Focal efforts over the next fi ve years. Species strategy and the Focal Species campaigns now underway.

Focal Species Campaigns Focal Species campaigns entail compilation or identifi cation of Red Knot comprehensive management/ Photo Credit: Greg Breese USFWS conservation strategies into an action plan (a species-specifi c Selection of Focal Species mix of monitoring, research, The list of Birds of Management assessment, habitat and Concern (BMC) is a subset of the population management, and species protected by the Migratory outreach) necessary to improve Bird Treaty Act that pose special the conservation status; a clear management challenges due to a statement of the responsibilities variety of factors. The BMC list for actions within and outside The King Rail (Rallus elegans) has been identifi ed consists of species, subspecies, or the Program; a focus of Service as a focal species due to severe population declines in the northern, central, and eastern populations of the over 1000 bird resources on implementing those actions; and communications to parts of its range in North America. species found in North America. Photo Credit: USFWS FY2012 – FY2016 Focal Species

Emperor Goose Bald Eagle Black Tern Brant (Pacifi c Black) Yellow Rail Gull-billed Tern Canada Goose (Dusky) Black Rail Common Tern (Great Lakes population) Trumpeter Swan (Rocky Mountain King Rail population) Kittlitz’s Murrelet Snowy Plover (Interior U.S. and American Black Duck Gulf Coast populations) Burrowing Owl Mottled Duck Wilson’s Plover Bicknell’s Thrush Northern Pintail Mountain Plover Wood Thrush Greater Scaup American Oystercatcher Bendire’s Thrasher Lesser Scaup Black Oystercatcher Sprague’s Pipit Common Eider (American and Upland Sandpiper Golden-winged Warbler Pacifi c) Long-billed Curlew Cerulean Warbler White-winged Scoter Hudsonian Godwit Grasshopper Sparrow Yellow-billed Loon Marbled Godwit Henslow’s Sparrow Laysan Albatross Red Knot (C.c. rufa and C. c. Painted Bunting Black-footed Albatross roselaari) Bobolink Black-capped Petrel Semipalmated Sandpiper (Eastern population) Tricolored Blackbird Great Shearwater Dunlin (C. a. arcticola) Rusty Blackbird Audubon’s Shearwater Buff-breasted Sandpiper ‘I’iwi Reddish Egret American Woodcock (Eastern and Golden Eagle Central management unit)

Golden Eagle Photo Credit: Dave Menke USFWS

Tricolored Blackbird Photo Credit: Dave Menke USFWS

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Birds Program www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/ dmbmdbhc.html

Wood Thrush Laysan Albatross chick Photo Credit: Steve Maslowski USFWS Photo Credit: Brad Bortner USFWS November 2011