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IBA News

The IBA program serves as a catalyst for achieving bird conservation. The protection and proper management of IBAs is a large, multifaceted endeavor requiring the efforts of many, from local citizens, to conservation professionals, to elected officials. Below are highlights of some of our recent IBA conservation efforts. Many of these activities are a result of IBA Adoptions. To learn how you can get involved at an IBA, visit the Adopt an IBA page.

IBA Stewardship Groups
Audubon New York has been working with a group of natural resource professionals and other local stakeholders to identify strategies to help protect the Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshlands Conservancy, and Orient Point to Plum Island Important Bird Areas (IBAs). In addition to these area’s significance to birds, they are also Long Island Stewardship Inaugural Sites. The purpose of this project was to engage local communities in the creation of a conservation action plan to help increase public awareness of these important sites and implement actions to assist with conservation efforts.

Edith Read to Marshlands Conservancy IBAs and Stewardship Site

The conservation plan was developed in 2006 and updated in 2008. The stewardship committee has presented their mission and agenda to the City of Rye, created a habitat map that includes a detailed shoreline component, advocated for the protection of the Bird Property, and are working with Westchester County Parks to manage a 23-acre portion of the Marshlands Conservancy in a way that benefits birds and other wildlife.

Download the Edith Read to Marshlands fact sheet to learn more and help spread the word bout this effort.

A habitat map for the Edith Read to Marshlands IBAs and Stewardship site created by the Stewardship Committee.

Orient Point to Plum Island IBA and Stewardship Site

The conservation plan was developed in 2006 and updated in 2009. The conservation committee has moved forward on a number of activities related to conservation strategies identified in the plan. Some of these activities include regular monitoring of endangered beach-nesting bird activity, surveys for wintering grassland birds, and inventory of saltmarsh habitat and associated priority species within the IBA.

Download the Orient Point to Plum Island fact sheet to learn more and help spread the word bout this effort.

Audubon New York received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to facilitate this work.

Protecting the Last Remaining Large Grassland on Long Island

Audubon New York has been working together with seven Long Island Audubon Chapters and a growing list of other partners to protect significant grassland habitat on eastern Long Island. The property, known as the Enterprise Park at Calverton (EPCAL), is part of the Long Island Pine Barrens IBA and contains one of the last remaining expanses of grassland habitat on Long Island. In addition to supporting breeding populations of grassland dependent species, the site also provides critical wintering habitat for the state threatened Northern Harrier and endangered Short-eared Owl.

Photo: Jeff Nadler, Northern Harrier.

The Town of Riverhead is proceeding with plans to develop the 2,900 acre site with major development projects already moving forward. As part of the Coalition for Open Space at EPCAL, Audubon is closely monitoring the process and working to ensure that proper environmental review protocol is followed while advocating for protection of this critical site. To learn more about what Audubon and the Coalition are doing, and how you can help visit the Coalition’s website at http://www.calvertongrasslands.org

Onondaga Lake is Adopted by Montezuma Audubon Center, Onondaga Audubon Society, and Honeywell

Honeywell, Montezuma Audubon Center and Onondaga Audubon Society adopted the Onondaga Lake Important Bird Area to connect local communities with this IBA and incorporate a sense of stewardship to improve the welfare of birds and bird habitat. Audubon and Honeywell sponsored a birding field trip around Onondaga Lake for local high school students. Most of the students were recruited by Catherine Landis, a National Science Foundation Fellow through SUNY ESF Outreach. The student birding field trip contributed to part of the National Audubon Society’s 109th Christmas Bird Count. The data from previous Syracuse Christmas Bird Counts was used to designate Onondaga Lake as an Important Bird Area and this year’s data, as well as future counts, will help monitor the success of the Lake. The groups are currently working on habitat improvement plans for the lake and lakeshore.

Bedford Audubon Finds Record Number of Eagles Wintering in Westchester

In recent years there has been an increase in the number of Bald Eagles wintering along the Hudson River. Because of the large number of eagles, the Lower Hudson River was recognized as an Important Bird Area in 2005. In 2007, Bedford Audubon became convinced that the numbers of Bald Eagles in the Lower Hudson Valley was being underestimated so they organized a survey.

As part of the survey efforts, over twenty Bedford Audubon members and volunteers were trained in bald eagle identification and they began systematic, scientific monitoring of wintering bald eagle populations in northwestern Westchester County. This survey, which has been supported by chapter small grants from Audubon NY, is continuing in 2009. Peak bald eagle populations for 2008 occurred in late January when a total of 51 Bald Eagles were confirmed to be roosting in the study area, up significantly from a peak population of 35 Bald Eagles in 2007. These impressive numbers lead us to believe that the Lower Hudson Valley is one of the largest wintering areas for bald eagles in the eastern lower 48 states outside of the Chesapeake Bay region. To learn more, visit the Bedford Audubon's website.