Using Big Data to Drive Conservation of the Pacific Flyway in California

Bird migration is one of the greatest challenges for conservation in changing world. Ancient flyways extend thousands of miles, some across entire hemispheres – how can we protect a moving target?.

The challenge is made greater by poor information about movements of species and habitat availability, a lack of efficient and adaptable conservation tools, and the high cost of implementation at meaningful scales. The recent availability of large-scale data from citizen science to remote sensing is improving our ability to develop effective conservation strategies for bird migrations. Working in partnership with Cornell Lab’s eBird program.

The Nature Conservancy has developed precision science tools to create temporary bird habitat on farmland in California when and where birds need it most. We have partnered with over 200 farmers creating over 35,000 acres of high quality bird habitat, demonstrating a cost-effective way for farmers to help protect the Pacific Flyway.