Abstract
One-sentence summary Area-based plans to conserve migratory birds of the Western Hemisphere over their full annual cycle revealed high compatibility between land use plans likely to support human livelihoods and conserve Neotropical migratory birds.
Strategic plans to conserve migratory species require detailed knowledge on species distribution, abundance, and habitat use over the annual cycle, but such data are lacking for most species. We developed a hemispheric approach to planning using spatiotemporally explicit species abundance models to prioritize land needed to conserve ≥17% of the global populations of 109 species of Neotropical migratory birds. The efficiency of annual cycle plans was evaluated in comparisons to single-season plans, and to scenarios that avoided areas with a high human footprint index. Annual cycle plans were more efficient than single-season plans and reduced the area needed to meet 17% targets by up to 43%. Area efficiency was maximized when land converted by human activity (e.g., agricultural, urban) was included in solutions, suggesting that working landscapes contribute positively to conservation. Here we show that annual cycle plans and land-sharing approaches to conservation can help identify land use scenarios capable of supporting human livelihoods and Neotropical migratory birds.
