English 
Español Project Description
PRBO Conservation Science, with partners from the Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE) and Terra Peninsular, A.C., and support from the Sonoran Joint Venture, have been expanding collaborative, bi-national bird studies, training and monitoring programs, and conservation efforts in northwestern Baja California, with an emphasis on the seriously threatened riparian and coastal scrub habitats. The South Coast Ecoregion, which extends from Santa Barbara, California to the El Rosario area of Baja California, includes coastal scrub vegetation at low elevations, chaparral at mid-elevations, and mixed conifer forests at higher elevations. The ecoregion is under severe pressure from development and commercial interests; coastal scrub is the most threatened vegetation type in Baja California as it is particularly susceptible to coastal development projects on both sides of the border. Through this project we will (1) present a seven-day training course in avian monitoring methods to 10-15 students and staff from protected areas in Mexico; (2) provide intensive training in the form of internships or on-site tutoring to 4 students to gain proficiency in monitoring techniques; (3) further establish an outreach program to educate local communities and governmental officials about migratory bird conservation and habitat stewardship; and (4) initiate standardized monitoring of migrant and resident birds in coastal scrub, chaparral, and mixed conifer forests.