Institute for Bird Populations

The Institute for Bird Populations is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded by Dr. David DeSante in 1989 to study the causes of bird population declines. IBP's first major initiative was the development of the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program, a collaborative network of independent bird banding stations across North America that we continue to coordinate. Other flagship programs include the establishment of the Monitoreo de Sobrevivencia Invernal (MoSI) program to study the ecology and vital rates of Neotropical migrant birds on their wintering grounds, and the Sierra Nevada Bird Observatory to study and conserve birds in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Our work has spread to other parts of the United States and other parts of the globe, including Canada, the Neotropics, and Pacific Islands.

We collaborate locally, nationally, and globally with individuals, government agencies, and NGOs in diverse fields to assess the effects of land management actions, climate change, and other ecological stressors on bird populations, and prescribe practical solutions. We use cutting-edge science, and frequently publish results in peer-reviewed journals.

Our primary goals are to:

-Conduct research and monitoring that supports effective bird conservation.
-Disseminate our findings, often by publishing our research results in scientific journals.
-Help train the next generation of avian conservationists.