COLORADO’S IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS PROGRAM

Audubon Colorado’s Important Bird Areas Program has been in place since 1999. Housed at Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory during its first year, the program has been administered by Audubon Colorado since the spring of 2000. A seven-member Technical Committee has been established and to date has approved 53 Important Bird Areas throughout the state. The IBA Program Coordinator recently completed an analysis of the Important Bird Areas. This project addressed gaps in geographic area, species coverage, and habitat types in order to focus future site nominations and achieve more comprehensive coverage. Audubon Colorado has begun to shift its focus from site identification to on-the-ground stewardship and education projects at IBA sites. Recent stewardship examples include: a bobolink study at the Carpenter Ranch/Yampa River Preserve, youth clean-up efforts at Denver City Park Lakes, youth assistance with vegetation work at Chatfield State Park, and fall/winter bird surveys conducted by local Audubon chapters at four Important Bird Areas.

Photo Courtesy: Chris Taylor

FEATURED IMPORTANT BIRD AREA
Name: Pawnee National Grassland
State: Colorado
County: Weld County
Nearest Community: Briggsdale, Colorado

Site Description (habitats): The Pawnee National Grassland consists of 193,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service property, interspersed with private land. This shortgrass prairie ecosystem consists of a transition zone known as the Chalk Bluffs and is bordered on the north by the High Plains (500 feet higher). Within the shortgrass prairie are the Pawnee Buttes, two 500-foot remnants of the High Plains. Vegetation is dominated by two short sod-forming grasses – blue grama and buffalo grass. Also present is western wheatgrass, sideoats grama, sand dropseed, and three-awn. Shrubs such as fourwing saltbush, chokecherry, and winterfat are common where soils are favorable. Trees are found mostly along creeks and in draws where more moisture is available. There are no perennial streams on the Pawnee, but a number of creeks flow during the spring and have potholes that provide water for varied lengths of time. Land use at the site includes nature and wildlife conservation, hunting, recreation, utility right-of-way, and research.

Photo Courtesy: Chris Taylor

Ornithological Summary: Observations since 1962 have recorded 296 bird species at the Pawnee National Grassland. This IBA is one of the main breeding grounds in the world for Mountain Plovers a WatchList species. The Chalk Bluffs area is habitat for many raptors, including Ferruginous Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, and Prairie Falcon. Significant concentrations of waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, and landbirds are also found at this site.
Conservation Issues: Conservation issues facing the Pawnee National Grassland include: predation on Mountain Plover by swift fox, undetermined causes of decline of Mountain Plovers and other grassland species, and impact from increasing recreational use. In an attempt to address these threats and other questions, numerous groups and individuals have conducted research at this IBA including: the University of Northern Colorado, Colorado State University, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service.

To Learn More About Audubon Colorado’s
Important Bird Areas Program

Visit the Web Site:
Important Bird Areas of Colorado

Contact:
Ken Strom
Director of Bird Conservation
Audubon Colorado
3107 28th Street, Suite B
Boulder, Colorado 80301
(303) 415-0130
kstrom@audubon.org