Bird Conservation > Important Bird Areas >

The following summary provides a few examples of how States are using the IBA Program to advance local conservation efforts, often by linking IBA goals to other initiatives.

COLORADO

• Colorado Audubon launched a pilot small grants program to provide funding to chapters to pursue bird surveys at local IBAs. Projects must involve a one day bird survey (focusing on four to six species of conservation concern) during fall migration 2001 or winter 2001-2002.
• The Colorado IBA program has conducted two youth service projects hosted by the Audubon Society of Greater Denver. The first occurred at Denver City Park Lakes in partnership with EDUCO (an environmental education non-profit organization). Twelve young people worked on a horticultural project at the park, and also participated in environmental education activities. Denver City Park Lakes is a Colorado Important Bird Area, primarily based on the Black-Crowned Night-Heron and Double-Crested Cormorant colonies it hosts. The second IBA Youth Project, involved 4th and 5th graders removing noxious weeds and reseeding the area with native grasses. This project occurred at Chatfield Sate Park, also an Important Bird Area. Students were rewarded for their hard work with a guided nature hike through the park.

CONNECTICUT

• Connecticut Audubon Chapters and Affiliates assist in monitoring, maintenance and education efforts at IBAs and also observer training seminars both at IBAs and other locations. Training seminars are being planned as a cooperative effort with the Connecticut Ornithological Association. The first event is scheduled to be a winter gull identification seminar sponsored by the COA and Hartford Audubon.
• In June of 2002 Connecticut Audubon is planning a birding by ear seminar in conjunction with COA and Litchfield Hills Audubon.
• Future programs will include Hawk/birds in flight ID seminars at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven and Quaker Ridge in Greenwich. In addition to creating awareness about birds and the IBAs at which these events take place, it is hoped that they will add to the foundation of trained observers necessary for future monitoring programs.

DELAWARE

• In addition to the recent designation of sites as IBAs in Delaware (White Clay Creek State Park and Preserve, Pea Patch Island, and the Delaware Coastal Zone). Members have also participated in a number of clean ups, one occurring at White Clay Creek State Park IBA.

IDAHO

• Palouse Audubon Chapter and Canyon Birders have contributed to Idaho’s IBA program by leading weekly field trips to monitor shorebirds at Mann Lake IBA. They began this monitoring in the fall of 2000 and repeated it again in the fall of 2001 The information collected will be forwarded to the International Shorebird Survey.

MISSISSIPPI

• Audubon Mississippi is assisting the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture with a citizen science effort to monitor migratory shorebirds throughout the alluvial valley of the lower river states. Much of the monitoring in Mississippi will occur at nominated Important Bird Areas. This monitoring effort will assist researchers in estimating the number of shorebirds migrating through the valley (now estimated at 500,000 birds each fall) and help them learn more about the habitat needs of the birds.
• Audubon Mississippi, along with its partners, is developing a long-term conservation initiative involving the Pascagoula River and associated habitats. The Pascagoula is the largest free-flowing, essentially unfragmented river system in the lower 48 states. The river and the bottomland hardwood forest along it, much of which is public land, provide a protected corridor for migrating songbirds, nesting and roosting habitat for swallow-tailed kites, and habitat for a variety of wading birds. Several candidate IBAs have been nominated along the Pascagoula River.

MONTANA

• Audubon Montana signed a 10-year license to protect 442-acres of cottonwood habitat near Kalispell. Located at the confluence of the Stillwater and Flathead Rivers, this area serves as key open space for the Kalispell community and it has been nominated as an Important Bird Area.
• Audubon Montana is developing and implementing a management plan for the Owen Sowerwine Natural Area IBA located in the Flathead Valley. This area is a magnet for wildlife given mix of wetland and upland habitats. In addition this IBA contains important habitat for 10 priority.

NEW YORK

• Audubon New York continues to pursue conservation efforts at several IBAs through advocacy, education and outreach. Efforts are being advanced by working cooperatively with local groups and landowners on various issues at Hamlin Beach State Park, Montezuma Wetlands Complex, The Great Swamp, Whiskey Hollow, Finger Lakes National Forest, Niagara River Corridor, and Sterling Forest State Park.
• Specific successes include averting plans to clad an observation tower at the Niagara River Corridor in reflective glass (which is dangerous to birds). At Sterling Forest State Park, plans to manage for valuable succession habitats were included in the park's master plan. At Montezuma Wetlands Complex, $2.5 million of Lands and Water Conservation Funds were attained for habitat acquisition and restoration. ß Buffalo Audubon Society has created and marketed a birding trail to promote ecotourism throughout the Niagara River Corridor IBA and the Iroquois NWR Area IBA.
• Chemung Valley Audubon Society is working proactively on avian monitoring and conservation strategies for The Center at Horseheads IBA.
• Onondaga Audubon Society is working with and has contributed money to Save The County land trust to acquire and protect habitat at Whiskey Hollow IBA.
• Several New York City area chapters have been working hard on conservation issues at Jamaica Bay IBA.
• Genessee Valley Audubon Society has been working with Audubon New York on advocacy related to the potential for drilling for natural gas in the Finger Lakes National Forest IBA and on outreach to the land managers and public at the Rochester Area Urban Parks IBA.
• The Adirondack High Peaks Audubon chapter is working with Vermont partners on water bird monitoring and assessment on Lake Champlain area IBAs.

PENNSYLVANIA

• Read about IBAs and Audubon Pennsylvania in the December 2002 Audubon Magazine. Included with the article is a pullout map highlighting IBAs throughout the U.S.

VERMONT

• Audubon Vermont’s IBA Program received funding from the Wharton Trust and the Sweet Water Trust to support ongoing monitoring efforts at IBAs, as well as to develop and enhance citizen science based monitoring programs. To this end, Audubon Vermont has conducting an IBA Wetlands Monitoring Workshop at the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area IBA with invited chapter representatives and interested volunteers. The workshop combined an overview of the IBA Program in the state with demonstrations of different monitoring techniques. The demonstrations, conducted by Audubon staff and local experts, focused on monitoring birds, reptiles and amphibians and habitats (including invasives). The goal was to provide the chapter representatives with an array of monitoring options for their members to consider and hopefully implement.

Back to Current Successes