The Voice of Fish & Wildlife Agencies: The Southern Wings Program

Focus Areas

A partnership of State Wildlife Agencies Conserving State Priority Birds on their Wintering Grounds in Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean

State fish and wildlife agencies spend considerable time, money and effort ensuring good bird habitat exists within their state. Southern Wings is a partnership of state agencies that support the common vision of providing a funding mechanism for bird conservation projects in Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean to support priority birds throughout their annual cycle and protect the state wildlife agencies investments.

In the Program’s first three years, state agencies have contributed over $300,000 USD and $557,000 of in-kind contributions with an additional $226,000 in state-level U.S. partner contributions. Nearly $800,000 were contributed to match state agency dollars and additional partner contributions put towards the projects by non-state partners including host-country governments and NGOs were over 1.1 Million.

Southern Wings provides a funding mechanism that:

Is solidly based on the biological connection between migratory birds that occur in the states and also spend part of their annual cycle on Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean wintering grounds
Allows for relatively easy and seamless financial participation by interested states
Requires progress and accomplishment reports to the states
Achieves the benefits of match and leverage of state funds

For an overview of the Program please see this Handout and the Spanish version and Power point presentation