Resources
Prior Workshops
Workshop 1 · 7-8 JULY 2020
This virtual workshop convened 122 virtual attendees from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, representing NGOs, state agencies, U.S. joint ventures, and academic institutions, to garner their expert wisdom on the best approaches available for identifying limiting factors.
Workshop 2 · 1-3 December 2020
This virtual workshop convened over 300 virtual attendees to to build a vision for new science on priority species that focuses on identifying linked populations, understanding limiting factors, and pinpointing specific causes of decline.
Workshop 3 · 27-29 July 2021
This virtual workshop brought together a total of 511 participants to explore how social science, communications and co-production can be incorporated into recovery of species on the brink and to eliminate the implementation gap. we developed a process for advancing species towards sustainable population recovery, beginning with “On-Alert Species.”
Prior Engagement Sessions
Session 1 · 13 December 2021
Development of the R2R Guidance Document
Session 2 · 10 June 2022
R2R Introduction and Listening Session for State Governments
Session 3 · 12 August 2022
Developing the Process of Recovery for North American Birds

Mountain Plover photo by Michael Wunder
The road to Recovery
Guidance and Goals Documents
Almost two years ago, the loss of nearly 3 billion birds from the North American avifauna was documented. The Road to Recovery initiative’s vision is to use targeted and actionable science to recover declining bird populations before they become endangered or extinct. We must take a species-specific approach to mitigate threats and ensure sustained recovery of the most at-risk species. Bird conservation is often inextricably linked to human dimensions via shared resource concerns, as such we need to embrace the human dimensions in the recovery process. We need to challenge ourselves to learn to incorporate the social sciences, co-production and communications in each step of the recovery process.
Collaborations and Partnerships are Critical to Our Success
Collaborations with diverse conservation initiatives like Partners in Flight (PIF) and the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) are critical to our success. R2R will work closely with established PIF working groups to understand science gaps, increase social science capacity, and advance the efforts of species working groups. Likewise, R2R will collaborate with NABCI’s Sub-committees to strategically meet conservation targets across the full-annual cycle, advance human dimensions and address environmental justice issues as they relate to bird conservation. These collaborative efforts will provide a unified approach to recover On-Alert Species.
- 3 Billion Birds Gone
- Avian Conservation Assessment Database
- Birds of Conservation Concern
- Central Grasslands Roadmap
- North American Bird Conservation Initiative (U.S.)
- North American Waterfowl Management Plan
- Partners in Flight
- Southern Wings
- State of the Birds
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Species Data Explorer
- U.S. Geological Survey- Species of Greatest Conservation Need
- Waterbird Conservation for the Americas
- Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network
-Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
-Rachel Carson, Silent Spring