Last month, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory completed its first field season studying winter survival of Baird's and Grasshopper Sparrows in Janos, Chihuahua, Mexico. Both of these grassland species have declined between 70 and 80% since the 1960s. The key to stemming these population declines may lie on their wintering grounds in Chihuahua. Biologist Erin Strasser provides a wrap-up of the study including some interesting preliminary data.

Grassland birds are declining faster than any other group of North American birds. The key to reversing this decline may lie on their wintering grounds in Chihuahua, Mexico. Biologist Erin Strasser provides an update from Chihuahua on a study that's using radio-telemetry to better understand the overwintering ecology of Baird's and Grasshopper Sparrows.

RMBO has released "Wintering Grassland Bird Densities in Chihuahuan Desert Grassland Priority Conservation Areas, 2007-2011," documenting bird abundance, distribution, habitat use and other information collected over five years in three U.S. and six Mexican states. The Chihuahuan Desert is the primary wintering grounds for more than 90 percent of western North America’s migratory grassland birds.

The new Fall/Winter edition of The All-Bird Bulletin features five stories about RMBO's work. See pages 12 -16 to read: "New Model Identifies Bird Habitat Use at Multiple Scales," "'Boots on the Ground' Expands Habitat Conservation," "Taking Outreach from the Land to the Classroom Builds Future Conservation Ethic," "Critical Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands Rapidly Give Way to the Plow," and "Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR)."