Golden-crowned Sparrow, April, CA.

An Avian Knowledge Network (AKN) session was held during the Fourth International Partners in Flight (PIF) Conference in McAllen, Texas 13-16 February 2008. Presenters came from diverse backgrounds that included academic institutions, non-government organizations, and governmental agencies, and presented a functioning data management strategy that supports bird conservation and research. Presentations encompassed data management, community participation, and examples of data visualization, exploration and analysis. The PIF AKN session did not describe a data management strategy that simply stores data in a central database repository with limited access. Instead a comprehensive and dynamic data resource has been developed, which has become the foundation for a variety of tools, features, and explorations that support the goals of PIF. Closing discussions emphasized ways that the AKN can further PIF high-priority needs in: Capacity Building; Education, Communication and Outreach; Public Policy; Research and Inventory and Monitoring.