Tag: Western Forests

SCIENCE BRIEF: New data synthesis helps guide western forest restoration for birds, water, and communities

Written by Elva Manquera on September 1, 2026. Posted in Klamath Call Note, KBO Science.

More than half of the forest-dependent birds in the western United States are declining—one of the broadest declines of any bird habitat group. At the same time, many western forests have shifted away from their historical conditions, contributing to habitat loss, reduced forest diversity, greater risk of severe wildfire, and diminished freshwater supplies. Conservation partners have access to extensive information about these challenges, but putting those data together in a way that supports coordinated action remains difficult.

A new peer-reviewed paper, “Western forests data synthesis: birds, climate, forests, and water,” describes an analysis that Klamath Bird Observatory worked on with Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture and the Intermountain West Joint Venture. Migratory Bird Joint Ventures work to support habitat-focused conservation of landbirds, shorebirds, waterbirds, and game birds across North America and are well positioned to support Western forests and their surrounding communities. The analysis brings multiple sources of information together to help conservation partnerships identify where forest restoration could provide the greatest benefits for birds, forests, watersheds, and people. This paper was co-authored by the Klamath Bird Observatory and Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture.

The paper, “Western forests data synthesis: birds, climate, forests, and water,” is part of the Avian Conservation and Ecology special feature, “Partners in Flight International Science Committee: Migratory Bird Conservation Tools and Applications.” Like the broader feature, this paper highlights the role of collaborative applied science in helping the bird conservation community move from concern to measurable action.

National bird conservation lists provide an important foundation for action, but they do not always capture species whose conservation needs are most apparent at a regional scale. To address this gap, the research team used the Partners in Flight Avian Conservation Assessment Database to develop regional lists of priority western forest birds. The study examined four Bird Conservation Regions covering much of the western United States within the Pacific Birds and Intermountain West Joint Ventures.

A Rufous hummingbird feeding on a western columbine. Photo taken by Frank Lospalluto

The researchers identified 66 unique priority western forest bird species, with 31 to 41 priority species identified in each Bird Conservation Region. Most were classified as needing Management Attention or long-term Planning and Responsibility. Each region also included two to four species requiring more urgent action through Critical Recovery or Immediate Management.

The team then mapped where these priority species occur across 542 mid-sized watersheds. They combined the bird information with data describing forest types, the degree to which current vegetation differs from historical conditions, priority areas for restoring bird habitat and increasing carbon storage, projected climate risk, watershed condition, and land ownership.

Together, these layers help answer important conservation-planning questions, such as where multiple priority bird species occur together. Where have forests departed most from historical conditions? Where could restoration improve bird habitat while also supporting carbon storage, watershed health, and community resilience? And which land managers and conservation partners need to work together to make restoration possible?

For example, areas where many priority bird species overlap with forests that have substantially departed from historical conditions may offer important restoration opportunities. Adding information about climate risk and watershed condition can further identify places where restoration could support forest resilience, water resources, and communities. Land-ownership information helps clarify where cross-boundary partnerships will be essential.

The authors emphasize that this synthesis is a broad-scale starting point rather than a site-level restoration plan. Local knowledge, ecological monitoring, Indigenous leadership and priorities, social science, and input from the people who live and work in these landscapes will all be necessary when developing specific conservation projects.

The study is already informing conservation delivery across the West. Using results from this analysis and other emerging information highlighting declining forest birds, the Intermountain West Joint Venture recently launched an implementation plan that is focused on improving forest habitat for birds and other wildlife, reducing wildfire risk, and supporting forest-dependent communities. Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture is also building on its established oak and prairie conservation program to address challenges facing conifer and mixed-forest ecosystems from California to Alaska.

The regional priority lists are also supporting Pacific Birds and KBO’s work to connect the broader Prairie, Oaks, and People Investment Strategy with the needs of imperiled oak- and prairie-associated birds in the Pacific Northwest. By combining regional priorities with local monitoring and conservation plans, partners can better identify which species need attention and where investments can make a measurable difference.

This research reflects KBO’s approach to conservation science: using birds as indicators of ecological conditions, bringing together existing science and data, and delivering that information to partnerships working on the ground. By connecting bird conservation with forest health, wildfire resilience, climate adaptation, and clean water, the study provides a practical framework for advancing restoration that benefits both birds and people.

Recommended citation

Gillespie, C. R., M. L. McClure, J. D. Alexander, S. T. Evans-Peters, M. N. Iglecia, and J. L. Stephens. 2026. Western forests data synthesis: birds, climate, forests, and water. Avian Conservation and Ecology 21(2):2.

Funding for this work was provided by Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture and Intermountain West Joint Venture through a cooperative agreement with Klamath Bird Observatory facilitated by Ducks Unlimited.

As the special features are published, they can be found on the Avian Conservation & Ecology website.

State of the Birds 2025 highlights how conservation partnerships are benefitting western forest birds in decline and their neighboring communities

Written by Elva Manquera on March 18, 2025. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Press Room.

MEDIA CONTACT: Elva Manquera-DeShields, Science Communications, Outreach, and Community Conservation Manager, Klamath Bird Observatory, 541‐908-0040, ejm@KlamathBird.org

[Ashland, Oregon] – [3/18/2025] – The State of the Birds 2025 report has been delivered to the American people by scientists from more than two dozen conservation groups and agencies, including Oregon-based Klamath Bird Observatory. This report paints a concerning picture of declining bird populations in the United States. The report also underscores the significant environmental, economic, and human benefits of bird conservation and birdwatching to millions of Americans.

The report reveals that more than 50% of the birds in our western forests are declining. This alarming trend is largely attributed to current forest conditions that drastically differ from those that characterized western forests pre-settlement. Pre-settlement conditions included mosaics of older and mixed-aged forests that experienced regular fires. Over the past 100 years, industrial timber practices and fire suppression have changed our forests, making them less resilient putting bird populations and our rural communities at risk of extreme fires and drought.

State of the Bird 2025 report also highlights ongoing efforts addressing western forest bird declines through sustainable forest management and fire-use practices. Many of these efforts are being guided by bird habitat conservation plans that focus on investments in increased watershed resilience and benefits for both birds and people. Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (JVs) in the West, such as the Intermountain West and Pacific Birds Habitat JVs (Pacific Birds), are facilitating long-term investments that are increasing ecosystem and community resilience, reconnecting people to forests and forest birds and integrating tribal priorities. Led by Pacific Birds, the Pacific Northwest Oak Alliance is focusing investments on oak ecosystem restoration and protection. These oak woodlands provide crucial habitats for many of our most at-risk western forest birds, including species like Lewis’s Woodpecker.

“The trends for western forest birds are a clear call to action,” says Dr. John Alexander, Executive Director of the Klamath Bird Observatory. “At the same time, increased investments in implementing forest restoration practices that benefit at-risk bird species also show benefits to the people who depend on resilient forested lands in Oregon and throughout the West. This State of the Birds report underscores the urgent need for continued investments in conservation strategies that protect our vital forest ecosystems while highlighting the many ways birds enrich our lives and communities. For example, the popularity of birding and its proven economic and health benefits demonstrate Americans’ deep connection with birds and the natural world.”

While the State of the Birds 2025 report draws attention to the challenges birds in the United States face, the report also emphasizes the profound and widespread benefits that birds offer communities. Nearly 100 million Americans are birdwatchers, a diverse group that includes large shares of hunters (58%) and anglers (53%). This widespread passion for birds generates $279 billion annually in total economic output through birder trips and equipment expenditures. Beyond the economic impact, the report highlights compelling research demonstrating the mental health benefits of engaging with birds. Encounters with birds have been shown to benefit the mental well-being of people with depression and can significantly reduce stress and anxiety.

State of the Birds 2025 critically assesses the health of the nation’s bird populations, providing essential data to inform conservation policy and action for the benefit of both birds and people.

The full State of the Birds 2025 report is available at www.StateOfTheBirds.org.

The Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) is a non-profit organization that advances bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships. Working in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the ranges of migratory birds KBO emphasizes high-caliber science and the role of birds as indicators to inform and improve natural resource management. KBO also nurtures an environmental ethic through community outreach and education.

Pacific Birds is one of 25 migratory bird joint ventures, which are regional partnerships that conserve habitats for the benefit of birds, biodiversity, and people. Pacific Birds works from Alaska to Northern California and across the Pacific Islands. Our mission is to create the ideal environment for bird habitat conservation through promoting collaboration, advancing knowledge and planning, building capacity, and informing and inspiring. For more information, visit pacificbirds.org.

The U.S North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) Committee is a forum of government agencies, private organizations, and bird initiatives helping partners across the continent meet their common bird conservation objectives. For more information, visit nabci-us.org.