Since 1970, North America has lost 3 billion birds.
Formerly abundant species like Wood Thrush and Eastern Meadowlark have become increasingly rare. Backyard favorites including Baltimore Oriole and Rose-breasted Grosbeak are declining. The list goes on.
The widespread loss of birds is a visible manifestation of a broader global extinction crisis with implications for the future of life on Earth.
The Driftless Area is critical for the conservation of declining birds. Our rugged bluffs support the most expansive oak forests and the highest concentration of prairies in the Upper Midwest. Our mighty rivers – the Mississippi, Wisconsin. Chippewa and Black – sustain some of the largest floodplain forests remaining in the eastern United States.
The sheer abundance of wildlife that calls the Driftless Area home, including more than 150 species of birds, make it one of the most biologically diverse regions on the continent.
From a migratory bird perspective, the Driftless Area is also important on a hemispheric scale. As the largest block of deciduous forests between the Ozarks and Canada’s boreal forest, the Driftless Area plays a critical role in a migratory spectacle that has played out over eons. Every spring and fall millions of birds representing hundreds of species stop in the Driftless Area to reset and refuel as the migrate to and from their winter homes in Latin America.
Our mission is saving birds in North America’s Driftless Area through science, education and collaboration. We intend to keep our woods and wetlands filled with birdsong, but we can’t do it alone. Together, we can do great things to ensure a future for our beloved birds.