Our ability to save birds depends on science that helps us understand population changes and threats. Conservationists rely on the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Bird Banding Lab and Breeding Bird Survey, which for decades have provided consistent and trusted data to help us understand long-term changes in bird populations. But funding for these programs, as well as much of USGS’s biological research, is at risk. Take action today to save the science programs that are essential for the conservation of birds.

These programs reveal how our environment is changing, which species are declining, and where conservation action is most needed. They’ve contributed to the understanding and protection of countless species, like Prothonotary Warblers, Piping Plovers, and Peregrine Falcons. For example, bird banding helped bring Piping Plovers back from the brink of extinction in the Great Lakes by helping researchers learn about factors driving their survival and reproduction, a success that could not have happened without the Bird Banding Lab.

If birds are not returning to the same places to breed because of a lack of food or natural nesting areas, these programs are necessary for figuring out where those birds are going and what those changing factors are, and how we can respond.

This information has important implications for people, too. We can see where and when birds are responding to changes in their habitat, and what that might mean for our own cities and towns, or the health of our natural resources upon which we all depend. Studying birds increases our understanding about the impact of emerging threats, such as stronger storms, sea level rise, and the spread of diseases like avian influenza.

As Congress finalizes the budget for the coming fiscal year, these irreplaceable programs are in jeopardy.

Tell your members of Congress to fully fund the Breeding Bird Survey and Bird Banding Lab in the federal budget, so we can continue to protect birds and people.