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What is an Important Bird Area?
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Long-billed Curlew
photo by John Van de Graaff |
Important Bird Areas, or IBAs, are sites that provide essential habitat for one or more species of bird. IBAs include sites for breeding, wintering, and/or migrating birds. IBAs may be a few acres or thousands of acres, but usually they are discrete sites that stand out from the surrounding landscape. IBAs may include public or private lands, or both, and they may be protected or unprotected.
California Important Bird Areas are:
- Biologically and geographically distinct
- Both protected or unprotected, often consisting of multiple landowners
- Satisfy one of the “IBA Criteria”
History of the IBA Program
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Western Grebe
photo by John Van de Graaff |
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BirdLife International initiated the first IBA program in Europe and Africa in the mid-1980s. Audubon launched an IBA program in the United States in 1995 in partnership with BirdLife International. In 2004, Audubon California with the support of hundreds of volunteer hours and dozens of technical reviewers, published Important Bird Areas of California by Daniel S. Cooper. This identified 148 Important Bird Areas in California and was the first systematic effort to identify a network of important conservation sites for birds.
IBA Program in California
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Townsend’s Warbler
photo by John Van de Graaff |
Since May 2006, Audubon California has been focused on prioritizing Important Bird Areas for conservation action and building partnerships with Audubon chapters, public agencies, and conservation organizations to help undertake conservation, restoration and monitoring of Important Bird Areas. We are also using these sites to help Californians better understand the needs of bird and habitat conservation.
IBA sites throughout California are being prioritized statewide to determine those areas with the highest biological values, the greatest degree of threats, and opportunities to affect conservation at those sites. Audubon California is working with Audubon chapters to protect 10 high priority Important Bird Areas in California by 2010. At these, as well as at other sites, we will work with partners and provide information to guide management of public and private lands in order to protect the value of these places for birds.
Our ultimate goal is to help ensure that sites identified as IBAs continue to provide habitat for those species that triggered designation. Staff of the IBA program will continue to monitor sites by collecting data on bird species, distribution, and abundance at IBAs, refining site boundaries as new information emerges, and developing monitoring and outreach programs.
What can you do?
- Join a local Audubon chapter to assist with conservation projects such as land protection, restoration and management, at a local IBA (find a chapter near you at www.ca.audubon.org).
- Be a citizen scientist! Use your birding skills to advance conservation by visiting an IBA and keeping track of the species and numbers of individuals you see and hear. Report the information to the IBA Coordinator.
- Report your sightings at www.ebird.org/california.
Text on this page has been excerpted from “Important Bird Areas of California”. Recommended Citation:
Cooper, D.S. 2004. Important Bird Areas of California. Audubon California. 286 pp. Available (online) at: http://ca.audubon.org/iba/index.shtml. Retrieved [insert date].
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