Chapter 3 North Carolina Species
focused scientific action to pinpoint causes of declines and need strategies developed for recovery. An example is a range-wide survival study of Golden-winged Warblers.
Information on waterfowl and other migratory birds is collected through cooperative and collaborative work of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV), Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV), Atlantic Flyway Council (AFC, Council), and Partners in Flight (PIF), and through management of BCRs and IBAs. These efforts provide long-term trend data that are critical to assess population changes. The success of bird conservation in North America is largely due to the collaborative efforts of various agencies, organizations, partnerships, and individuals dedicated to preserving species and habitats. A sample of the initiatives, collaborations, and partnerships that implement bird conservation in North Carolina is provided below. • NCWRC biologists routinely collaborate with ACJV partners to conduct nesting waterbird surveys. For example, the NCWRC, National Park Service, USFWS, NC Coastal Reserve, NC State Parks, Audubon NC, Bald Head Island Conservancy, US Marine Corps, researchers, and numerous volunteers conduct triennial colonial waterbird surveys. This coast-wide survey tracks 21 species known to nest on North Carolina’s coast. Many of these tracked species are SGCN, and the data collected from the surveys are stored in the Colonial Waterbird database maintained by NCWRC and shared with others through the Avian Knowledge Network computing system. • The AMJV currently focuses its conservation efforts on three main natural communities. Bird species that are closely associated with these communities have been identified as priorities for their conservation work. The AMJV priorities include Golden-winged Warblers and their association with young forests and old fields (successional community types); Cerulean Warbler and Wood Thrush and their association with mature deciduous forests (cove, montane, and oak forests); and Saw-whet Owl, Black-capped Chickadee, and Red Crossbill and their association with high- elevation forests (northern hardwood and Spruce- Fir forests). Conservation of open pine communities and wetlands is another priority area for the AMJV. • The AFC is one of four administrative flyways established to facilitate management of migratory birds and their habitats (USFWS 2025) . The USFWS and its partners manage migratory birds based largely on routes the birds follow as they migrate between nesting and wintering areas. The Council is composed of members of state and provincial wildlife agencies in the 23 Atlantic Flyway states and Canadian provinces and serves in an advisory capacity to the members for the sound stewardship of shared resources. For example, the Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative focuses conservation efforts on specific habitats throughout the flyway to address threats shorebirds face during migration. There are several resources available from the Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative website, including focal habitat and focal species conservation plans (AFSI 2025) .
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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