Sources Sought Flycatcher Bird Banding, NV

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking sources for a Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Survey, Monitoring, and Banding program in Nevada. The procurement requires comprehensive environmental consulting services to conduct landscape-scale assessments of endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher breeding populations across Clark and Lincoln Counties. Potential contractors must possess two critical permits: a USFWS endangered species permit to conduct surveys and disturb nesting endangered birds, and a Bird Banding Laboratory permit through USGS, as these qualifications are stringent and difficult to obtain due to rigorous training and qualification requirements. Interested vendors must respond to this sources sought notice by March 2, 2026, with their CAGE Code, Unique Entity ID, documentation of past experience working with Southwestern Willow Flycatchers, and confirmation of permit possession. Responses should be submitted to Robert_Sung@fws.gov with the sources sought identifier "140F0S26Q0017" in the subject line. While specific evaluation criteria are not detailed in the notice, the emphasis on permit requirements and relevant experience indicates that technical qualifications will be paramount in vendor selection.

This is a non-set-aside procurement open to any qualified vendor. The contract runs for a substantial period of performance from April 1, 2026, through August 31, 2030, encompassing four complete field seasons of work. The scope includes protocol-level flycatcher surveys at four study areas, territory and nest monitoring with 13 weekly visits per territory, cowbird parasitism management activities, color banding operations, and comprehensive annual data analysis and reporting. Specific budget values have not been disclosed in the sources sought notice, though the multi-year duration, multiple study sites, and intensive field work requirements suggest a significant contract value. No incumbent contractor is identified in the available materials, and work cannot commence until written authorization is received from USFWS project officers Rebecca Lausch or James Vinson.