Mexico Takes Flight with a National Strategy to Protect Its Birds

Mexico has officially begun the process of developing its own National Bird Conservation Strategy (ENCA)—an urgent and necessary initiative to protect birds, ecosystems, cultures, and territories we share with them.

Mexico is home to more than 1,130 bird species, several of them endemic and deeply connected to the natural and cultural history of their regions. From the Maroon-fronted Parrot (Rhynchopsitta terrisi) soaring through the forests of the Sierra Madre Oriental to the Mexican Sheartail (Doricha eliza) dancing in the southeast, local birds pollinate, control pests, and disperse seeds. They also inhabit our legends, carry the memory of communities, and give meaning to many landscapes. To protect them is to preserve the living bond between nature and culture.

Drawing on the experiences of Chile and Colombia, Mexico embarks on this path with a collaborative, scientific, and participatory approach. The ENCA seeks to lay the foundation for public policy that recognizes birds as key species for both ecosystem conservation and human well-being.

The first step in this process took place on October 2, during the XXII Congress for the Study and Conservation of Birds in Mexico, with the symposium and roundtable “Toward a National Bird Conservation Strategy for Mexico,” held at the Autonomous University of Baja California.

The session was facilitated by Adrián Varela and Lizeth Álvarez from Pronatura Noreste, Vicente Rodríguez from CONABIO (National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity), and Sofía Lorda from Audubon.

This roundtable marked the first exercise in what will later become regional workshops. Participants presented the ENCA process, discussed existing conservation mechanisms in Mexico, and introduced the methodology that will guide the strategy’s planning: the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation.

During her remarks, Sofía Lorda, who opened the session with an introduction to the process, stated:

“The ENCA represents an opportunity to promote sustainable development by using birds as umbrella species to encourage the protection of ecosystems essential for human well-being.”

In group sessions, participants divided by region to share experiences and local knowledge, while proposed focal values were presented: endemic or threatened birds, shorebirds and waterbirds, seabirds, migratory birds and their routes, as well as forest, jungle, and grassland birds.

A collective analysis followed to identify threats and outline strategies by group. Among the most frequently cited issues were habitat loss, climate change, and pollution. Participants emphasized that a wealth of information already exists, and proposed strengthening cross-sector and cross-territorial collaboration to design comprehensive, shared strategies.

Another key point was the importance of ensuring the participation of a broader range of people and sectors, including local governments, remote communities, and organizations with a territorial presence. The discussion explored ways to reach these groups and what local dynamics could help ensure that community voices are both included and heard.

The enthusiasm for participating in the process was high, and the exercise was recognized as a positive step toward a collective and representative national strategy.

A Model with a Regional Vision

Audubon’s experience in Latin America, as an organization that has actively supported similar initiatives, has shown that national bird conservation strategies can become powerful catalysts for transforming public policy. In Chile, the ENCA was led by the government and is now official public policy. In Colombia, it originated within civil society and now benefits from legislation that promotes birdwatching tourism and conservation. For this reason, Audubon is now contributing to the development of Mexico’s ENCA and encouraging similar actions in other countries across the region.

Both processes—each taking about two years—offer valuable lessons, such as the importance of including sectors traditionally distant from conservation, such as mining, energy, and infrastructure, through working groups that promote dialogue and shared responsibility.

They also prioritized the inclusion of Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and rural communities from the design and validation stages, recognizing their essential role in territorial management and ecological knowledge.

Mexico: Opportunity and Commitment

The ENCA seeks to connect multiple sectors and interests, grounded in the best available science. Its dual goal is to strengthen local capacities and mainstream conservation across public policies, production systems, and territorial decision-making. It is designed to be updated every ten years, adapting to changing contexts and emerging challenges.

This regional, multisectoral, and adaptive approach has already proven successful in other countries, and Mexico now has the opportunity to consolidate its regional leadership by protecting a natural heritage shared with North America and other key migratory regions.

Audubon emphasizes that this process—with its specific context and realities—represents a key step toward more inclusive, effective, and globally aligned conservation efforts. Birds are strategic allies in achieving this vision.

This is only the beginning—what is taking shape here already has wings to fly far.