List of DoD installations recognized as Important Bird Areas.
IBA logo The Important Bird Areas (IBA) program is founded on the premise that identifying and conserving key habitat areas for significant populations of birds is essential to the overall bird conservation effort. These areas may be significant because they hold large concentrations or an exceptional diversity of birds, harbor rare of endangered species, or contain unique or threatened habitat. Significance for birds can occur during any of all of the breeding, non-breeding, or migration periods for migratory birds.

Definition

An Important Bird Area is a site providing essential habitat to one or more species of breeding or non-breeding birds. The sites vary in size, but usually are discrete and distinguishable in character, habitat, or ornithological importance from surrounding areas. In general, an IBA should exist as an actual or potential protected area, or should have the potential to be managed in some way for birds and general nature conservation. IBAs have no minimum or maximum size, but whenever possible they should be large enough to supply all or most of the requirements of the bird(s) during the season for which they are important.

Criteria

Category 1: Sites regularly providing habitat for significant numbers of one or more endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species.
Category 2: Sites regularly providing habitat for an endemic species, or species with restricted ranges.
Category 3: Sites regularly providing habitat for an assemblage of species restricted to a biome or a unique/threatened natural community type.
Category 4: Sites where birds concentrate in significant numbers when breeding, in winter, or during migration.

IBAs on DoD Installations

Department of Defense installations are managed for the conservation of natural resources, including birds, and in certain situations qualify as designation for an IBA. To that end, the DoD PIF program endorses Important Bird Areas on Military lands, where appropriate. 

It is important to note that there are no legal or management requirements associated with an IBA designation. This is simply an outside organization (American Bird Conservancy, National Audubon Society, or both) recognizing the excellent stewardship of military lands in managing and conserving habitats for resident and migratory birds.

List of DoD installations recognized as Important Bird Areas.

 
Department of Defense Partners in Flight Program
Email:DoD PIF Program Manager