Avoidance and Minimization Measures: Data and Tools

There are a number of Decision Support Tools that have been developed or in the process of being developed to help facilitate the project assessment and impact management processes for migratory birds. There are also many sources of data available on bird and information on their natural history that can help inform project planning and bird conservation decisions.

What tools are available to me?

The Avian Knowledge Network (AKN) is a collaborative effort between a multitude of stakeholders to facilitate and enhance bird conservation. The AKN is comprised of a variety of interactive tools, data products and avian conservation information.

The Information for Planning and Conservation (IPaC) system is designed for easy, public access to information about the natural resources for which the Service has trust or regulatory responsibility. One of the primary goals of the IPaC system is to provide information in a manner that assists people in planning their activities within the context of natural resource conservation.

The Injury and Mortality Reporting (IMR) system is a repository for data on dead or injured birds and bats. It was created to inform the management of the Service's trust resources in the face of an expanding human population, the infrastructure to support it, and the consequential impact on our nation’s birds and bats.

To better address conflicts with migratory birds, the Service has developed a systematic approach to promote consistency and coordination with stakeholders in identifying and implementing management solutions. This approach is a conceptual framework of step-wise guidance to identify management options that could be implemented to resolve conflicts, including identifying whether lethal take is necessary, and, if so, the necessary level of lethal take to reduce the conflict.

Where can I learn more?

For access to a full list of decision support tools that can help you learn about birds and look at best available information about their presence, status, trends, important habitats, and more, please visit the Federal Avian Data Center's Decision Support Tools webpage.

Library Documents

Biological/Ecological Information

• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds of the World - Detailed information for bird species that includes life history traits, conservation and management actions, and research needs
• State of the Birds - A general summary of current population trends across public and private lands and related to climate change
• North American Bird Conservation Initiative - A source of general bird conservation information, including the Bird Conservation Plans and details for Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs)
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology - A source of general information about birds, along with multi-media information

Bird Data

• North American Breeding Bird Survey - Long-term standardized nationwide survey providing a consistent index of breeding bird population trends
• Christmas Bird Count - Long-running winter survey focusing on relative winter distribution trends
• eBird - A source of bird occurrence data and species distribution maps
• Partners in Flight - An interactive database on bird species vulnerability assessment and population estimates
• The Institute for Bird Populations - A source of bird productivity and survival data
• USGS North American Breeding Bird Atlas Explorer - State breeding bird atlas efforts, including detailed county-by-county breeding records

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