GEORGIA'S IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS PROGRAM

Georgia's Important Bird Areas Program, coordinated through the Atlanta Audubon Society, has designated 29 IBAs, six through formal ceremonies, and is considering 70 more sites as candidate IBAs. The program is structured around an IBA coordinator who works with a technical committee to review candidate sites. The IBA Technical Committee includes 24 expert birders, ecologists, biologists, and members from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, all Georgia Audubon chapters, and various other conservation groups (The Nature Conservancy, etc.).

SAMPLE IMPORTANT BIRD AREA
Name: Altamaha River Delta
State: Georgia
County(ies): McIntosh and Glynn Counties
Nearest Community: Darien

Site Description: The Altamaha River Delta found at the mouth of Georgia's largest river, includes sand spit and barrier islands to the north and south (Blackbeard, Sapelo, Wolf, Egg, Little Egg, and Little St. Simons Islands). Prominent features include extensive barrier beaches, dunes, maritime forest, and salt marshes.

Ornithological Summary: These islands provide exceptional sites for breeding/wintering waterbirds and the surrounding waters and wetlands provide a readily available food source. In addition the islands and their associated habitats serve as resting stops for migrating shorebirds, waterbirds, and landbirds. These habitats often contain high concentrations of Partners-in-Flight target species such as Painted Bunting, and Georgia priority species such as Royal Tern (nesting: 18,000), Brown Pelican (nesting: 5,000), Gull-billed Tern (nesting: 80), Sandwich Tern (nesting: 600), American Oystercatcher (mig./winter: 250), Red Knot (mig. 5000), Dunlin (mig. 1500), Piping Plover (mig./winter: 65), Wood Stork (nesting: 30), and Black Skimmer (nesting: 400).

Conservation Issues: As with many aquatic environments this site and the wildlife it supports faces a number of threats: pollution from farm pesticides and industrial wastes along Altamaha River, disturbances from human recreational activities, and hydrologic changes from water withdrawal. As an example of many on-going projects designed to protect this fragile environment, the state recently passed legislation to limit the recreational activities on the islands used for nesting (e.g., Little Egg Is. Bar), including the restriction of dogs on the beaches.

To Learn More About Georgia's
Important Bird Areas Program

Visit the Web Site:
Important Bird Areas of Georgia

Contact:
Jim Wilson
Important Bird Areas Coordinator
3294 Creekside Drive
Conyers, Georiga 30094
(770) 602-1679
gaiba@bellsouth.net