“Birds fly south in the winter.”
It’s a phrase so familiar it feels like common sense. But the idea that birds migrate — let alone where they go and how they get there — is knowledge hard-won through decades of careful observation and scientific discovery. In the United States, much of what we know about bird movements, populations, and the health of our ecosystems comes from two foundational programs run by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): the Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) and the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). These programs don’t just tell us where birds go. They reveal how our environment is changing, which species are declining, and where conservation action is most needed —making clear that both programs merit our attention and support.
Established in 1920 and 1966, respectively, the BBL and BBS have provided consistent and trusted data that help us understand long-term changes in bird populations. As Congress finalizes the budget for the coming fiscal year, there is a unique opportunity to champion continued investment in these irreplaceable programs and in the vital biological research conducted by USGS—ensuring their impact continues for generations to come.
Along with Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count, the BBS is an invaluable resource that tells researchers around the world about the state of North America’s bird populations. These datasets were the foundation of the recent study demonstrating the loss of nearly 3 billion North American birds since 1970, as well as the recent State of the Birds report documenting declines of bird populations across all habitats. By understanding where declines are happening, we can use this data to help bend the bird population curve back toward recovery.
Likewise, over the course of more than 100 years, 77 million bands have been deployed by scientists since its founding, including the bands on Wisdom, the Laysan Albatross more famously known as the oldest-breeding bird in the world. Banding also continues to play a key role in bringing Piping Plovers back from the brink of extinction in the Great Lakes by helping researchers learn more about the factors driving their survival and reproduction. This conservation success would have been impossible without the BBL. The data from both of these programs are integral for informing federal policies such as land management policies, risk assessments, and mitigation of threats like avian flu.
As sentinel species that live in almost every biome on Earth, changes in behavior of both migratory and non-migratory birds have important implications for everyone. We can see where and when birds are responding to changes in their habitat, and what that might mean for our own cities and towns, or the health of our natural resources upon which we all depend. Data collected can help us better track the short- and long-term impact of extreme weather events on bird populations, from stronger storms and more severe temperatures to sea level rise.
If birds are not returning to the same places to breed because of a lack of food or natural nesting areas, these programs are necessary for figuring out where those birds are going and what those changing factors are, and how we can respond.
Recently, Audubon signed an agreement with USGS to incorporate data from the BBS into the Bird Migration Explorer tool to better understand migratory birds’ movements. This is a profound acknowledgment of the importance of these datasets for the work we do. We don’t just need to understand how bird populations are changing because we love birds and want to keep them around – though all of that is true – but by understanding birds, we can better understand our own environment, and create a better future for us all.
These programs provide the bedrock data and expertise that underpin bird conservation and ecological research across North America. Thanks to these programs, we take for granted core truths about nature–like the seasonal migration of geese–as if they were always known. But without sustained support, this knowledge, and the ability to act on it, could slip away. For the sake of birds, ecosystems, and our own future, these vital programs must be fully funded.
