The fragmentation and loss of habitat, along with global warming, are the biggest threats to birds worldwide. The Important Bird Areas program is "designed to identify a network of sites that provide critical breeding, wintering, or migration stopover habitat for birdlife..."
National Audubon Society has partnered with BirdLife International to administer the program in the United States. In Pierce County, Washington, we currently have only two designated IBAs: Fort Lewis IBA and Nisqually IBA.
Sites meeting IBA qualifications must meet at least one of the following criteria - it must support:
1) endangered or threatened species;
2) species not widely distributed;
3) species restricted to a single extensive habitat or biome; or
4) high densities of congregating species, such as waterfowl or shorebirds.
Tahoma Audubon is in the process of expanding the Nisqually IBA, and developing citizen-science based data collection projects in support of future IBA nominations.
Contacts:
Krystal Kyer, Conservation Coordinator Tahoma Audubon (253) 232-9978 kkyer@tahomaaudubon.org
Don McIvor, Washington IBA Program Manager, Audubon WA dmcivor@audubon.org
Christi Norman, Birding Trail Program Director, Audubon WA (360) 786-8020 cnorman@audubon.org