What is the WatchList?

The Partners in Flight WatchList was

introduced in 1996 to draw attention to

those species of migratory birds in the

United States that are most in need of

conservation action. The WatchList does

not include federally threatened or

endangered species. Rather, it identifies

those species that are still fairly

common, but that—without proper

attention—will probably someday

occupy an unenviable place on the

endangered species list. The species on

the 1998-1999 WatchList are those that

have declined precipitously over the

past several decades, occupy habitats

that are under severe threat, are found

in low numbers, or have such narrowly

restricted ranges that their existence is

tenuous.

Why is Preventing Species from 

Becoming Endangered So Important?

There are three main reasons why we

should strive to keep species from

declining to the point that they become

endangered. First, migratory birds play

important roles in maintaining the

health of the environment. From insect

pest control, to plant pollinators and

seed disperers, to critical links in the

food web, birds help keep ecosystems

functioning in a balanced manner.

Second, healthy bird populations

account for massive economic benefits 

to society, both directly and indirectly.

For example, forest birds control

leaf-damaging insect populations on

marketable trees, thereby directly

preventing hundreds of millions of

dollars in economic losses of natural

resources. In addition, migratory birds

are one of the greatest tourist and

backyard attractions in North America.

Birdwatchers and other wildlife

watchers contribute $29 billion to the

economy of the United States each year

simply for the pleasure of observing

these winged wonders.

Finally, to recover a species once it

becomes endangered is very expensive

compared to what it takes to keep

healthy bird populations...healthy.

Endangered species also have been seen

by some as disruptive to certain land

uses. In contrast, land use plans that

already incorporate bird population

needs can maintain those populations

with little extra effort. Hence, from

biological and economical standpoints,

‘keeping common birds common’ is the

most promising approach. The

WatchList identifies those species that

are not likely to remain common for

much longer without direct attention.

How Often Will the WatchList be Updated?

The WatchList can be used to measure

conservation success: as species are

removed from the WatchList we know

that their populations are more secure.

The WatchList will be updated every

two years, so look for it again in 2001.

Need More Information about the

WatchList?

For more information about how the

WatchList was developed and the status

of WatchList species, please contact:

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Office of

Migratory Bird Management, 4401 N.

Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22203

(703/358-1714).

Partners in Flight 

WatchList

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Catch the

Migration

Sensation

International

Migratory Bird

Day is May 8th
Black-capped Petrel

Black-vented

Shearwater

Ashy Storm-Petrel

Black Storm-Petrel

Red-faced

Cormorant

Xantus’ Murrelet

Whiskered Auklet

Reddish Egret

Trumpeter Swan

Ross’ Goose

Emperor Goose

Brant

Mottled Duck

American Black

Duck

Swallow-tailed Kite

Snail Kite

Short-tailed Kite

Yellow Rail

Black Rail

Snowy Plover

Mountain Plover

Black Oystercatcher

Willet

Bristle-thighed

Curlew

Red Knot

Rock Sandpiper

Stilt Sandpiper

Buff-breasted

Sandpiper

Short-billed

Dowitcher

Long-billed Curlew

Hudsonian Godwit

Black Turnstone

Surfbird

Franklin’s Gull

Heermann’s Gull

Yellow-footed Gull

White-crowned

Pigeon

Band-tailed Pigeon

Elf Owl

Short-eared Owl

Chuck-Will’s-Widow

Black Swift

Buff-bellied

Hummingbird

Lucifer

Hummingbird

Rufous

Hummingbird

Allen’s

Hummingbird

Lewis’ Woodpecker

Red-headed

Woodpecker

Nuttall’s

Woodpecker

Strickland’s

Woodpecker

White-headed

Woodpecker

Gilded Flicker

Greater Pewee

Island Scrub-Jay

Oak Titmouse

Bridled Titmouse

Red-faced Warbler

Olive Warbler

Painted Bunting

Dickcissel

Brown-headed

Nuthatch

Bicknell’s Thrush

Wood Thrush

Long-billed

Thrasher

Bendire’s Thrasher

Curve-billed

Thrasher

California Thrasher

Le Conte’s Thrasher

Sprague’s Pipit

Bell’s Vireo

Gray Vireo

Golden-winged

Warbler

Virginia’s Warbler

Colima Warbler

Lucy’s Warbler

Black-throated Blue

Warbler

Hermit Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Cerulean Warbler

Prothonotary

Warbler

Worm-eating

Warbler

Swainson’s Warbler

Kentucky Warbler

Abert’s Towhee

Bachman’s Sparrow

Botteri’s Sparrow

Cassin’s Sparrow

Rufous-winged

Sparrow

Clay-colored

Sparrow

Brewer’s Sparrow

Black-chinned

Sparrow

Sage Sparrow

Lark Bunting

Baird’s Sparrow

Henslow’s Sparrow

Saltmarsh Sharptailed Sparrow

Nelson’s Sharptailed Sparrow

Seaside Sparrow

Harris’ Sparrow

McCown’s Longspur

Smith’s Longspur

McKay’s Bunting

Bobolink

Audubon’s Oriole

Lawrence’s

Goldfinch

Note: These species

do not necessarily

represent the highest

priority species 

in each state. The

list is meant to

provide state-bystate examples of

species that are of

National concern.

Alabama

Swallow-tailed Kite

Brown-headed

Nuthatch

Prairie Warbler

Prothonotary

Warbler

American Oyster

Catcher

Bachman’s Sparrow

Alaska

Emperor Goose

Black Oystercatcher

Red Knot

Hudsonian Godwit

Stilt Sandpiper

Smith’s Longspur

Arizona

Blue Throated

Hummingbird

Bendire’s Thrasher

Gray Vireo

Lucy’s Warbler

Rufous-winged

Sparrow

Black-chinned

Sparrow

Arkansas

Chuck-Will’s-Widow

Henslow’s Sparrow

Prairie Warbler

Swainson’s Warbler

Prothonotary

Warbler

Painted Bunting

California

Black Oystercatcher

Yellow Rail

Allen’s

Hummingbird

Le Conte’s Thrasher

Black-chinned

Sparrow

Lawrence’s

Goldfinch

Colorado

Mountain Plover

Trupeter Swan

Black Swift

Lewis’s Woodpecker

Lark Bunting

Sage Sparrow

Connecticut

American Black

Duck

Wood Thrush

Golden-winged

Warbler

Black-throated Blue

Warbler

Saltmarsh Sharptailed Sparrow

Seaside Sparrow

Delaware

Wood Thrush

Saltmarsh Sharptailed Sparrow

Kentucky Warbler

Worm-eating

Warbler

Black Rail

Florida

Swallow-tailed Kite

Short-tailed Hawk

White-crowned

Pigeon

Brown-headed

Nuthatch

Painted Bunting

Reddish Egret

Georgia

Black Rail

Bachman’s Sparrow

Brown-headed

Nuthatch

Prairie Warbler

Prothonotary

Warbler

Painted Bunting

Idaho

Long-billed Curlew

Short-eared Owl

Lewis’s Woodpecker

Brewer’s Sparrow

White-headed

Woodpecker

Franklin’s Gull

Illinois

Red-headed

Woodpecker

Wood Thrush

Henslow’s Sparrow

Prothonotary

Warbler

Dickcissel

Bobolink

Indiana

Black Rail

Red-headed

Woodpecker

Bell’s Vireo

Work-eating

Warbler

Dickcissel

Bobolink

Iowa

Franklin’s Gull

Bell’s Vireo

Baird’s Sparrow

Henslow’s Sparrow

Dickcissel

Bobolink

Kansas

Snowy Plover

Prairie Warbler

Cassin’s Sparrow

Dickcissel

Lark Bunting

Mountain Plover

Kentucky

Kentucky Warbler

Wood Thrush

Chuck-Will’s Widow

Prairie Warbler

Henslow’s Sparrow

Cerulean Warbler

Partners in Flight 1998-1999 WatchList Examples for Each State
Louisiana

Reddish Egret

Swallow-tailed Kite

Brown-headed

Nuthatch

Prothonotary

Warbler

Painted Bunting

Audubon’s Oriole

Maine

American Black

Duck

Bicknell’s Thrush

Bobolink

Prairie Warbler

Nelson’s Sharptailed Sparrow

Wood Thrush

Maryland

Black Rail

Wood Thrush

Swainson’s Warbler

Prothonotary

Warbler

Seaside Sparrow

American Black

Duck

Massachusetts

Black-throated Blue

Warbler

Saltmarsh Sharptailed Sparrow

Wood Thrush

Golden-winged

Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Bicknell’s Thrush

Michigan

Yellow Rail

Trumpeter Swan

Red-headed

Woodpecker

Golden-winged

Warbler

Henslow’s Sparrow

Bobolink

Minnesota

Franklin’s Gull

Golden-winged

Warbler

Bell’s Vireo

Dickcissel

Bobolink

Clay-colored

Sparrow

Mississippi

Swallow-tailed Kite

Red-headed

Woodpecker

Brown-headed

Nuthatch

Prairie Warbler

Bell’s Vireo

Painted Bunting

Missouri

Bell’s Vireo

Red-headed

Woodpecker

Wood Thrush

Prairie Warbler

Prothonotary

Warbler

Dickcissel

Montana

Mountain Plover

Long-billed Curlew

Brewer’s Sparrow

Lewis’s Woodpecker

Black Swift

Sprague’s Pipit

Nebraska

Trumpeter Swan

Bell’s Vireo

Dickcissel

Lark Bunting

Bobolink

Worm-eating

Warbler

Nevada

Elf Owl

Lewis’ Woodpecker

Gray Vireo

Brewer’s Sparrow

Sage Sparrow

Bendire’s Thrasher

Abert’s Towhee

New Hampshire

Saltmarsh Sharptailed Sparrow

American Black

Duck

Bicknell’s Thrush

Black-throated Blue

Warbler

Bobolink

Golden-winged

Warbler

New Jersey

American Black

Duck

Seaside Sparrow

Wood Thrush

Red-headed

Woodpecker

Prairie Warbler

Black Rail

New Mexico

Mountain Plover

Lewis’ Woodpecker

Elf Owl

Bridled Tit Mouse

Black-chinned

Sparrow

Gray Vireo

New York

Cerulean Warbler

Wood Thrush

Black-throated Blue

Warbler

Golden-winged

Warbler

Bobolink

American Black

Duck

North Carolina

Painted Bunting

Black Rail

Wood Thrush

Kentucky Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Prothonotary

Warbler

North Dakota

Franklin’s Gull

Sprague’s Pipit

Willet

Long-billed Curlew

Lark Bunting

Bobolink

Baird’s Sparrow

Ohio

Henslow’s Sparrow

Red-headed

Woodpecker

Cerulean Warbler

Wood Thrush

Dickcissel

Bobolink

Oklahoma

Red-headed

Woodpecker

Mountain Plover

Prairie Warbler

Painted Bunting

Cassin’s Sparrow

Dickcissel

Oregon

Black Oystercatcher

Xantus’ Murrelet

Lewis’ Woodpecker

Rufous

Hummingbird

Hermit Warbler

Allen’s

Hummingbird

Pennsylvania

Black-throated Blue

Warbler

American Black

Duck

Kentucky Warbler

Wood Thrush

Golden-winged

Warbler

Worm-eating

Warbler

Rhode Island

American Black

Duck

Seaside Sparrow

Wood Thrush

Saltmarsh Sharptailed Sparrow

Prairie Warbler

Red-headed

Woodpecker

South Carolina

Swainson’s Warbler

Painted Bunting

Brown-headed

Nuthatch

Wood Thrush

Prothonotary

Warbler

Black Rail

South Dakota

Franklin’s Gull

Willet

Lark Bunting

McCown’s Longspur

Dickcissel

Nelson’s Sharptailed Sparrow

Tennessee

Cerulean Warbler

Chuck-Will’s-Widow

Hooded Warbler

Kentucky Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Prothonotary

Warbler

Texas

Lucifer

Hummingbird

Curve-billed

Thrasher

Buff-bellied

Hummingbird

Painted Bunting

Dickcissel

Audubon’s Oriole

Utah

Long-billed Curlew

Sage Sparrow

Bendire’s Thrasher

Gray Vireo

Short-eared Owl

Snowy Plover

Vermont

Golden-winged

Warbler

Black-throated Blue

Warbler

Wood Thrush

Bicknell’s Thrush

Bobolink

Henslow’s Sparrow

Virginia

Seaside Sparrow

Wood Thrush

Swainson’s Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Prothonotary

Warbler

Kentucky Warbler

Washington

Black Oystercatcher

White-headed

Woodpecker

Band-tailed Pigeon

Rufous

Hummingbird

Sage Sparro

Brewer’s Sparrow

West Virginia

Golden-winged

Warbler

Kentucky Warbler

Swainson’s Warbler

Wood Thrush

Worm-eating

Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Wisconsin

Yellow Rail

Trumpeter Swan

Bell’s Vireo

Golden-winged

Warbler

Dickcissel

Bobolink

Wyoming

Mountain Plover

Black Swift

Lewis’ Woodpecker

Lark Bunting

Long-billed Curlew

Brewer’s Sparrow

May 1999