SJV Region
The SJV includes southern Arizona, southern California, and the Mexican states of Sonora , Sinaloa, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as the Gulf of California and its endemic islands. The boundaries were determined by partners in the U.S. and Mexico. Aligning boundaries to Bird Conservation Region lines might be an option in the future in order to include the entire ranges of Sonoran-Mojave Desert endemic birds.

View a map of the SJV Region

Description of the Area
The SJV covers in ten Bird Conservation Regions either in whole or in part. Elevation in the SJV ranges from below sea level at the Salton Sea (-300'), to sea level coastline and islands, to relatively flat desert areas, to high plateaus and mountain ranges (~9,000'). The climate is largely desertic with extremely low rainfall occurring in late summer high intensity storms or low intensity winter storms. The topography and climate produce a diversity of habitats, including desert shrublands, riparian, Madrean pine-oak, pine, mixed conifer, fir, chaparral, pinyon-juniper woodlands, desert grasslands, rock outcrops, tropical deciduous forests, desert thorn-scrub, palm groves, semi-deciduous forest, freshwater wetlands, coastal dunes, coastal shrublands, mangroves, estuarine, brackish and salt water wetlands, coastal lagoons, rocky breeding bird islands, and halophytic brushlands. Of these, the desert shrublands and grasslands, Madrean pine-oak, and various coastal environments and their avifaunas are the most unique biotas.

The avifauna is diverse, with 744 bird species breeding in, wintering in, and/or migrating through the region. This is nearly two-thirds of all bird species that occur in northern Mexico, the United States, and Canada. There are seventeen endemic or near endemic species. Additionally, there are several endemic subspecies. Over 50% of the world's population of about twenty additional species also occurs here. Unfortunately there are two species that is presumed extinct: the Guadalupe Storm-Petrel from Isla Guadalupe and the Imperial Woodpecker of the Sierra Madre Occidental.

A comprehensive national species assessment for landbirds and ducks has been conducted for the U.S. portion of the SJV. The same process will be performed in the Mexican portion in 2004. The U.S. process identified several landbird species that have declining population trends and/or high threats, including: Bendire's Thrasher, Tricolored Blackbird, Brewer's Sparrow, Bell's Vireo, Black-throated Sparrow, Verdin, Curve-billed Thrasher, Thick-billed Parrot, Pinyon Jay, White-throated Swift, Baird's Sparrow, and Sprague's Pipit (as determined by Partners in Flight). The SJV has a stewardship responsibility to maintain both the birds that are at risk and the characteristic species of our area's habitats.

Land use in the SJV area is varied and long-standing. Humans have been using the area for approximately 10,000 years. Species composition and successional progression underwent significant, large-scale changes due to grazing and mining impacts from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Since the early 1900s significant effects on the biota have come from urbanization, recreation, and military activities. Specific impacts are loss of habitat to urban and agricultural development, ground water pumping, surface-water diversion, overgrazing, invasive non-native plants, aquaculture, and increasing recreational pressures.

The SJV is not only biologically diverse, but culturally, as well. The SJV is committed to recognizing and complementing the cultural diversity found in our region. Along with the Hispanic and Anglo cultures, the area is home to more than twenty indigenous cultures. Working bi-nationally and in an area of great cultural diversity presents both unique challenges and opportunities. The SJV strives to be a model for future conservation partnerships in areas of human diversity.