New Study Identifies Key Areas of Conservation That Could Prevent Extinction of Latin America’s Most Threatened Birds.

A new study from researchers at American Bird Conservancy (ABC) assessing habitat protections for Latin America’s most threatened bird species identifies an achievable opportunity to strengthen conservation measures and improve outcomes. The paper, published today in Bird Conservation International, reveals that safeguarding a relatively small area of carefully targeted geographic locations can prevent the extinctions of the most under-protected species.

“We know that the majority of globally threatened bird species in Latin America are unfortunately declining due to land use change,” said Marcelo Tognelli, ABC’s International Project Officer and the lead author of the study. “Preventing extinctions therefore requires the protection and management of their specific habitats. Our research sharpens this focus down to key species and sites and is meant to serve as a blueprint for successful, long-term conservation actions.”

ABC’s researchers analyzed 129 globally threatened land bird species across Latin America and evaluated how well their suitable habitats are represented within existing protected areas. The study found that while most of these species already meet minimum conservation targets, 55 remain under-protected.

It also found that strategically protecting approximately 3.5 million acres of additional habitat — less than 0.1 percent of the entire land area of Central and South America — could meet the conservation needs of multiple species of greatest concern at once.

“Protecting 3.5 million acres is an achievable goal,” said Daniel Lebbin, coauthor and ABC’s Vice President of Threatened Species. “Our findings are encouraging because they show that preventing extinctions does not necessarily require protecting vast new areas.”

Read more here.