By Carl Runge
Important Bird Areas, or IBAs, are areas that provide essential habitat for one or more species of birds, either for breeding, wintering, or during migration. They are designated areas that stand out from the surrounding landscape, and need to be protected to insure a healthy avian population.
The IBA Program was started in Europe by BirdLife International in the 1980’s. The program has grown to include several thousand sites in 156 countries, and now encompasses millions of acres of habitat. The purposes of the program are to identify the areas of the world that are most important for maintaining bird populations, to monitor these areas for changes in bird population and habitat, and to effect long term protection of these areas to optimize biodiversity.
IBAs in the United States and in Vermont
The United States partner of BirdLife International is the National Audubon Society, which began its IBA initiative in 1995. At least 40 state Audubon organizations have initiated IBA programs and over 1200 IBAs have been identified in the U.S.
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IBA goals: to maintain bird populations, to monitor for changes in bird population and habitat, and to effect long term protection.
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Vermont is in the vanguard of state IBA programs. Audubon Vermont, primarily through its Conservation Director, Mark LaBarr, has already established 19 geographical IBAs and four IBA complexes. All areas have begun bird monitoring efforts. In the GMAS area (Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties) there are currently seven IBAs and one IBA conplex. The IBAs include Delta Park and Derway Island, the Mississquoi National Wildlife Refuge, Mud Creek Wildlife Management Area, Sandbar Wildlife Management Area, Young Island, the Franklin County Airport, and the Green Mountain Audubon Center and Birds of Vermont Museum properties in Huntington. The IBA complex includes the four Common Tern nesting islands in Lake Champlain.
The Delta Park IBA in Colchester
Delta Park, a 55 acre park owned and managed by the Winooski Valley Park District, is located at the mouth of the Winooski River in Colchester. Within the park are several habitat types including river bottom delta and associated wetlands, shoreline, and forested landscape. It has been chosen as an IBA because it is an historically important migration stopover for terns, shorebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds. While it is a protected area, it is surrounded by development and is bisected by the newly constructed Colchester bikepath and bridge crossing to Burlington.
The WVPD has been monitoring the park for several years, concentrating on protecting turtle nesting grounds, a Vermont State threatened Tiger Beetle species, and several rare plant species including the Vermont State threatened Beach Pea.
Observations
In 2002, GMAS and WVPD began to monitor migrating birds. Notable observations in autumn 2002 and 2003 included:
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Great Egret
- Great Blue and Green Heron
Ducks included:
- American Black
- Mallard
- Northern Shoveler
- Bufflehead
- Common Goldeneye
- Hooded and Common Merganser
Shorebirds seen were:
- Greater Yellowlegs
- Least and Pectoral Sandpiper
- Dunlin
- Wilson’s Snipe
- Sanderling (seen unusually late in November)
- Bonaparte’s Gulls (seen in large numbers)
- Common Terns (seen occasionally)
Notable passerine migrants included:
- Great Crested Flycatcher
- Barn Swallow
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Hermit Thrush (late October)
- Marsh Wren
- Northern Parula
- Black-throated Green
- Yellow-rumped, Black and White, and Yellow Warblers
- American Redstart, Savannah and Swamp Sparrows
Notable spring migrants in 2003 and 2004 have included:
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Great Egret
- Great Blue Heron
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- American Black Duck,
- Mallard, Gadwall
- Green-winged Teal
- Scaup
- Common Merganser
- Spotted Sandpiper
Some passerine migrants were:
- Eastern Phoebe
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Brown Thrasher
- Cedar Waxwing
- Yellow-rumped, Black and White, and Yellow Warblers
- Northern Waterthrush
- Common Yellowthroat
- Scarlet Tanager
- Swamp Sparrow
In 2003, Mark LaBarr and Sherry Berrin (WVPD) established a MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) program which included a banding station and habitat survey at the park. During the summer, confirmed evidence for nesting at the park was found for:
- Wood Duck
- Tree Swallow
- Tufted Titmouse
- Blue Jay
- American Robin
- Warbling Vireo
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Baltimore Oriole
In addition, Allan Strong of UVM School of Natural Resources confirmed the following species breeding at the park in 2003:
- Canada Goose
- Virginia Rail
- Sora
- Killdeer
- Red-eyed Vireo
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Northern Cardinal
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Common Grackle
- American Goldfinch
The MAPS program will not be operated in 2004, but may restart in a subsequent year.
Monitoring is ongoing at Delta Park. This year we are looking for evidence of impact on the bird population coincident with the habitat disturbance caused by the recent bridge and bike path construction.
Join the Program
Help is always welcome. If you would like to assist with these efforts, please contact Carl Runge (GMAS) at 879-4490, or Amy Cantor (WVPD) at 863-5744.
Carl Runge is a GMAS board member and on the conservation committee
