Birds

Local Sightings

• Eagles are a common sight where open water exists during the winter.

• Winnebago Co Bird Checklist 1
• Winnebago Co Bird Checklist 2

Birding Areas

• IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS PROGRAM               

  What is an Important Bird Area?

     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.

     To qualify as an IBA, sites must satisfy at least one of the following criteria. The site must support:

  • Species of conservation concern (e.g. threatened and endangered species)
  • Restricted-ranges species (species vulnerable because they are not widely distributed)
  • Species that are vulnerable because their populations are concentrated in one general habitat type or biome
  • Species, or groups of similar species (such as waterfowl or shorebirds), that are vulnerable because they occur at high densities due to their congregatory behavior

     Identification of a site as an IBA indicates it’s unique importance for birds. Nonetheless, some IBAs are of greater significance than others. A site may be important at the global, continental, or state level. The IBA identification process provides a date-driven means for cataloging the most important sites for birds throughout the country and the world. The use of a hierarchical classification system further helps to establish priorities for conservation efforts.

     Throughout the IBA process, the status of sites are characterized by the following terms: Potential, Nominated, Identified, Recognized, Pending, Rejected, Delisted, Merged.

   

  What is the Status of the IBA Program?

     BirdLife International is a global coalition of more than 100 country partner organizations. The IBA program was initiated by BirdLife International in Europe in the 1980’s. Since then, over 8,000 sites in 178 countries have been identified as Important Bird Areas, with many national and regional IBA inventories published in 19 languages. Hundreds of these sites and millions of acres have received better protection as a result of the IBA Program.

     As the United States Partner of BirdLife International, the National Audubon Society administers the IBA Program in the U.S.  Audubon launched its IBA initiative in 1995, establishing programs state by state. State-based IBA programs provide conservation leaders with the flexibility to tailor the program to their individual state needs, and they also give Audubon members and local volunteers the greatest opportunities to protect sites in their communities.

  How will IBAs help birds?

     The IBA Program helps birds by setting science-based priorities for habitat conservation and promoting positive action to safeguard vital bird habitats.

   

  What You Can Do

     Read more about IBAs and what you can do to help identify, monitor, and conserve Important Bird Areas.   www.audubon.org/bird/iba/you_do.html

   

  Wisconsin’s Important Bird Areas Program

     In May, 2001 partners in Wisconsin launched the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative (WBCI). Modeled after the North American Conservation Initiative (NABCI), this historic partnership is dedicated to delivering “the full spectrum of bird conservation emphasizing voluntary stewardship”. WBCI currently has over 150 endorsing partners and is engaged in wide variety of bird conservation activities throughout Wisconsin, ranging from conservation planning, to monitoring, to outreach and education. It is the first statewide all-bird conservation initiative of its kind in the United States.

     One of the major projects that WBCI undertook from its inception was the Important Bird Areas program.  Read more at www.iba.audubon.org/iba/viewState.do?state=US_WI

Official IBAs in our area:              Horicon Marsh (Dodge/Fond du Lac Co.)                                                               Woodland Dunes Nature Preserve (Manitowoc Co.)

Approved IBAs in our area:              North Kettle Moraine (Fond du Lac/Sheboygan Co.)

                                                        White River Marsh (Green Lake Co.)

Nominated IBAs in our area:              Rat River State Wildlife Area (Winnebago Co.)

                                                        Rush Lake (Winnebago/Fond du Lac Co.)

For a complete list and map see www.wisconsinbirds.org/iba/sitelist.htm