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Connecticut IBAs NamedHabitat loss and degradation are
the most serious threats facing populations
of birds and other wildlife, at home and abroad.
The Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program is a
worldwide response to this challenge. The aim of the IBA Program is to identify and conserve key sites for birds. An Important Bird Area is a place that provides essential habitat for one or more species of bird, whether in breeding season, winter, or during migration. In Connecticut, 33 sites have been identified as IBAs and eight additional sites are under review. The identified IBAs have been placed into three categories based upon when they will be ready to be announced. The first eight sites were announced in November. They are all coastal sites that are relatively straightforward regarding boundary, land ownership, and data questions. They are:
The mixed deciduous forest habitat of the East Rock Park serves as an important stopover area for many species of migratory songbirds. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded in the park. On a good day in the spring over 20 species of warblers are easily recorded within the park. Due to the urban setting and geography of the park it is an important island of habitat in the urban environment, and is one of the most important spring landbird areas in Connecticut. With an average of 20,000 to 30,000 migrating raptors, fall counts at Lighthouse Point Park are higher than at any reporting site northeast of Cape May. Merlin counts are exceeded only by Fire Island. The count has been continuous since 1974. Thousands of Bobolinks, Cedar Waxwings, Blue Jays, American Robins, Tree Swallows, and icterids, and large numbers of many other species pass Lighthouse Point each fall. Great numbers stop for rest, protection and foraging. Falkner Island is one of the "crown jewels" of Connecticut bird habitats. Since the 1960's, Falkner Island has been the site of the largest Common and Roseate Tern colony in Connecticut. It currently supports over 95% of the nesting Common Terns in Connecticut and is the site of the fourth-largest Roseate Tern colony in Northeastern North America (5% of the population), and is the only nesting location for this federally-endangered species in the state. The island has been the site of the Falkner Island Tern Project (FITP) since 1978, and is part of the Cooperative Long-term Roseate Tern Metapopulation Project. In addition to the island's importance to these two species in Connecticut, it is important to several other groups of birds. Several pairs of American Black Ducks nest on the island along with as many as 2 pairs of American Oystercatchers. Being over 3 miles from the nearest land, the island serves as an important stop-over area for many species of migratory landbirds. To be on the island on a good migration morning is a magical experience. FITP staff has been banding migrant landbirds since 1978. 113 species of landbirds have been banded on the island since that time. Expanding coverage of the island to include early and late migration periods could add significant information to the migration patterns of landbirds in Connecticut. Likewise the island serves as roosting and foraging habitat for several species of shorebirds, and may be the largest wintering area for Purple Sandpipers in Connecticut. The island may meet the 500 shorebird threshold as well. Waterfowl usage of the waters surrounding the island is a subject that warrants more study. The waters surrounding the island may be important areas for scoter spp., Long-tailed Ducks, and Atlantic Brant. The island would make a good site for a "sea-watch" in Connecticut. Located in Westbrook, Salt Meadow Unit serves as the visitors center and headquarters of the Stewart B. McKinney NWR. The area is one of the most important fall migratory stopover areas for Neotropical migrant landbirds in Connecticut providing important habitat for several species of migrant songbirds. At least 29 species of warblers have been recorded in fall migration. The nesting population of Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows (tied with Piping Plover as highest conservation priority species by PIF in our area) may be enough to qualify this site, but when the importance of the area as a migratory stopover is added in, the choice becomes much clearer. This location serves as an island of forest on an otherwise highly developed coastline. There are also several other high conservation priority species that nest on the property. The marsh provides foraging habitat for long-legged wading birds in the nesting, migration, migration and dispersal seasons. Habitat types of relatively unfragmented coastal forest, scrubland and high saltmarsh are extremely rare in Connecticut. To catch the landbird migration on the right autumn morning is a wonderful experience matched by few areas in the state. Three of the Connecticut IBAs may also qualify as globally important habitats, in addition to being important for the diversity of the state's birds. Lighthouse Point Park, Audubon Center in Greenwich (including Quaker Ridge) and Falkner Island. Like the Important Bird Areas at the state level, candidates for Global IBA status must meet certain criteria that demonstrate the site's significance to birds, and must serve bird populations on a worldwide scale. Audubon launched an IBA initiative in the United States in 1995 and in 2000 became the official U.S. Partner Designate of BirdLife International, serving as the national repository for IBA information, nominations, and site designation. Currently Audubon has 35 active state-based IBA programs with over 1200 sites identified, encompassing more than 5 million acres of habitat. To learn more about Audubon IBA activities go to <www.audubon.org/bird/iba>. The other IBAs in Connecticut will be announced in two later rounds. Round 2 sites require some additional information such as mapping and/or boundary issues and landowner identification. These will be announced in a second round next year. Round 3 sites are more complex and may require extensive mapping and analysis work to determine the boundaries and extent of the IBAs, or sites with multiple owners. These sites will be announced when all of the needed advance work has been completed.
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