Birds & Science >

Audubon’s Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program is a global effort to identify and protect habitat that will protect sustainable populations of birds. The IBA Program is built around an adaptable, science-based blueprint that allows Audubon and other conservation partners to make sound conservation decisions in the face of considerable uncertainty from the changing climate, the economy, and gaps in our knowledge of the abundance and distribution of our highest priority species.

Connecticut’s IBA Program strives to complement the conservation programs of our state, federal, and non-profit partners. By connecting people with nature, working with land stewards to develop conservation strategies, and supporting implementation of these plans at a local level, the IBA Program fills an important niche in statewide conservation efforts by working to protect areas that aren’t easily protected under other conservation programs.

The IBA program is overseen by BirdLife International, with Audubon as the partner designate in the United States in the U.S., and has become a key component of many bird conservation efforts, including, Partners in Flight, North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, and the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan.

Connecticut currently has 27 publicly announced IBAs (list below), and is working to announce additional sites in the coming year.

^*Globally Important Bird Areas (shown with solid background on map)

Conservation Plans:
Cove Island Park IBA Conservation Plan (12.4 MB PDF)
Northwest Park IBA Conservation Plan (33.7 MB PDF)
Station 43 Sanctuary IBA Conservation Plan (2.2 MB PDF)
Lighthouse Point Park IBA Conservation Plan (6.9 MB PDF)