Minnesota Important Bird Areas

Whitewater Valleys IBA

Photo credit: Mark Peterson

An Important Bird Area (IBA) is a site that provides essential habitat for one or more breeding, wintering, and/or migrating species of bird. The IBA Program is designed to be proactive, voluntary, participatory, science-based and credible, and works to identify, monitor and conserve the most essential bird habitats.

Why an Important Bird Area Program?
Increasing land use pressures from urban sprawl, agricultural and forestry practices, and outdoor recreation threatens to diminish both the quantity and quality of critical bird habitat throughout the state. Minnesotans have long expressed a widespread interest in the birds of our state, yet despite this interest, there has never been an effort to systematically identify and protect the habitats most crucial to the long-term survival of Minnesota’s bird populations.

IBAs serve as a catalyst for involving Audubon members and for educating the public about those areas most important for the long-term survival of birds. These areas are an important tool for prioritizing land use options for national, state, and local land managers. Improved decision making regarding land use options will help ensure the long-term health of both common and uncommon bird species.

Program History
IBAs are international in scope. BirdLife International conceived and initiated the IBA project in Europe in 1981. Since then, more than 7,500 sites, in 170 countries, have been identified as IBAs. In 1995 the National Audubon Society became the officially designated U.S. partner of Birdlife International for the purpose of implementing the IBA program. Currently, efforts are underway in 46 states to identify IBAs, resulting in the official identification of more than 1,800 U.S. sites to date.

Audubon Minnesota, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Nongame Program, began implementing the IBA program in Minnesota in February 2003. An IBA Technical Committee was formed, comprised of numerous bird experts and conservationists from Audubon, other birding groups, and federal and state agencies. The Technical Committee has established State-specific criteria for the Minnesota IBA program and evaluates sites for IBA identification. To date, over 225 IBAs have been suggested, 35 sites have been identified as IBAs in Minnesota and more are under consideration.

IBAs and You
IBAs are a natural focus of volunteer monitoring projects, which can lead to positive local stewardship and advocacy. Identification of a site as an IBA is both a tool for assisting private landowners and public land managers, and a rationale for preserving habitat from threats.

Support the IBA Program through citizen science and stewardship. This may include conducting bird monitoring, volunteering to help land managers, and/or being a conservation advocate. For more information, contact Mark Martell, Audubon Minnesota’s Director of Bird Conservation.