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Identifying Important Bird Areas is only the first in a series of steps towards habitat conservation for birds and biodiversity. The power of the Important Bird Areas network is not fully realized, however, until we know where these special places are and - equally important - what is happening to them and how they are changing over time. Knowing how IBAs are changing, and how successful the conservation community has been in protecting them, allows us to determine, track, and prioritize developing issues, and adapt conservation planning, implementation and management.

Important Bird Area Adoption Groups can play a crucial role in tracking how sites are changing and implementing conservation activities at IBAs. Click below for downloadable resources and links for more information on IBA assessment, bird monitoring, and IBA adoption in general. The brief compilation includes national reference documents as well as some examples specific to states and species.

• Summary of IBA Assessment
• IBA Assessment Draft Manual
• IBA Adoption Group Overview

Monitoring Resouces

• AIM Team Summary and Methods
• Coastal Bird Conservation Program Resource Manual
• Colony Watch Handbook
• IBA Monitoring Guide, NY
• Owl Monitoring, ME
• Guidelines for Nocturnal Owl Monitoring in N.A.

Resources and Opportunities for Volunteers

• Organizing and Leadership Insights from Audubon Chicago Region
• Volunteers Needed at Bartel Grassland in Illinois - See Announcement

For more information about how you can get involved with IBA Adoption in your state,
contact your state coordinator.

Courtesy: Eric Beck

Last updated September 2011