The Migratory Bird Treaty and a century of waterfowl conservation / Michael G. Anderson, Ray T. Alisauskas, Bruce D.J. Batt, Robert J. Blohm, Kenneth F. Higgins, Matthew C. Perry, James K. Ringelman, James S. Sedinger, Jerome R. Serie, David E. Sharp, David L. Trauger, and Christopher K. Williams.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 256-259).

In the final decades of the nineteenth century, concern was building about the status of
migratory bird populations in North America. In this literature review, we describe how that concern led to a
landmark conservation agreement in 1916, between the United States and Great Britain (on behalf of
Canada) to conserve migratory birds shared by Canada and the United States. Drawing on published
literature and our personal experience, we describe how subsequent enabling acts in both countries gave rise to
efforts to better estimate population sizes and distributions, assess harvest rates and demographic impacts,
design and fund landscape-level habitat conservation initiatives, and organize necessary political and
regulatory processes. Executing these steps required large-scale thinking, unprecedented regional and
international cooperation, ingenuity, and a commitment to scientific rigor and adaptive management. We
applaud the conservation efforts begun 100 years ago with the Migratory Bird Treaty Convention. The
agreement helped build the field of wildlife ecology and conservation in the twentieth century but only
partially prepares us for the ecological and social challenges ahead.