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“Birds like the Rufous Hummingbird don’t recognize borders, and neither should conservation”—now, with 11 community-led projects in Mexico protecting over 115,000 hectares, that powerful vision is taking flight.
Birds Canada warmly welcomes the announcement by the Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (FMCN) of 11 new conservation projects in Mexico, which together will protect more than 115,000 hectares of critical habitat – an area more than 5 times the size of Fundy National Park.
The 11 projects were selected to receive funding as part of the Conserva Aves Initiative, which aims to protect and conserve over 2 million hectares of important bird habitat in Latin America and the Caribbean. Conserva Aves is led by the American Bird Conservancy, National Audubon Society, Birds Canada, BirdLife International, and the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Environmental Funds (RedLAC).
Chosen from a pool of 34 applicants in a national call for community-led proposals to create or expand protected areas for birds in Mexico, these 11 projects represent a strong commitment to conservation. One of the key selection criteria was overlap with existing Key Biodiversity Areas – ensuring that conservation actions are both strategic and impactful across the hemisphere. The implementation of these projects is being led by FMCN, in collaboration with Pronatura Sur A. C. and with the support of Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (Conanp).
Three of the selected projects will be supported through an Equity Fund which is dedicated to empowering Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant communities, and women-led organizations that face systemic barriers to participating in conservation. Among them is SOS Soluciones in Oaxaca, an organization that works with women and Indigenous leaders which will work to expand an existing protected area and establish four new ones, safeguarding 20,500 hectares of bird habitat.
Leaders from 11 projects converged in Mexico City for a two-day launch workshop hosted by FMCN.
These Rufous Hummingbirds were observed in British Columbia, and are among the species that migrate to Mexico and benefit from habitat protections. Photo: Neal Hutchinson
The Rose-bellied Bunting is one of several at-risk species, endemic to Mexico, that will benefit from habitat protection. Photo: Yousif Attia
This week, leaders from all 11 projects converged on Mexico City for a two-day launch workshop hosted by FMCN. Birds Canada’s President & CEO Patrick Nadeau attended and discussed conservation priorities and joint values with project leaders and partners.
Reflecting the Government of Canada’s significant support for the Conserva Aves initiative, through Global Affairs Canada, these projects will help protect migratory birds and their habitats. Representatives from the Canadian Embassy in Mexico were also on hand to celebrate the commitment and leadership of local communities.
“Today’s positive announcement in Mexico shows what’s possible when global collaboration uplifts local voices. Birds like the Rufous Hummingbird don’t recognize borders, and neither should conservation,“ said Patrick Nadeau. “I’m proud to see this collaboration taking shape and the role that Canada is playing to protect nature at home and abroad.”
And there was much to celebrate. These protected areas provide refuge both for at-risk birds endemic to Mexico, such as the Rose-bellied Bunting found only in the Isthmus region of southern Mexico, as well as for migratory species from Canada, including the Chestnut-collared Longspur that spend the non-breeding season in the desert grasslands of northern Mexico.
