Important Bird Areas

Important Birds in Audubon Delta

Find important birds in the regions.

Saving Important Bird Areas 

In response to the alarming decline of many birds and their habitats, Audubon is doing its part to identify and protect critical places on which birds depend - part of an international network of Important Bird Areas (IBAs). This global initiative is an effort to identify vital conservation areas. 

Many of America's most beloved and biologically rich landscapes are in grave data; the importance of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) cannot be over from the Arctic Slope in Alaska to the Mississippi Delta stated. However, Audubon is leading the way to protect these iconic places and the birds that depend on them and mobilizing our network of chapters to act as stewards.  

Important Bird Areas of Louisiana 

Audubon staff have worked with Baton Rouge Audubon Society, the Orleans Audubon society, and the Louisiana Bird Resource Center to identify and map 23 IBAs in Louisiana. In addition, a technical committee of experts in the birds and habitats of Louisiana evaluates Louisiana IBAs. Data to support the identification of Louisiana IBAs comevariousety from sources, including universities, private researchers, state and federal agencies, and citizen scientistsLouisiana IBA program's strength rests on the data's amount and accuracy of data. 

Audubon is focusing its conservation efforts on several of Louisiana's coastal IBAs, including the Chenier Plain IBA, which includes Audubon's Rainey Sanctuary, and the Atchafalaya River Basin, which encompasses all or part of five IBAs. Additionally, our work to reestablish Mississippi River water flows that more closely resemble historic water levels and pathways throughout Louisiana is vital for the long-term health of many IBAs. 

Important Bird Areas of Arkansas 

Audubon Delta has identified 33 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Arkansas, comprising over 3.2 million acres. These places provide essential habitats for one or more species of birds at some time during their annual cycle of breeding, migrating, or wintering. Arkansas's IBAs include public lands, land trust conservation lands, and land owned or managed by private companies or citizens. The IBA program is not a regulatory initiative and does not restrict land use or activities. Audubon staff work with managers of IBAs to support bird and habitat monitoring, habitat management, and education and advocacy efforts focused on birds. Audubon recognizes that IBAs are priority sites for long-term protection. 

Important Bird Areas of Mississippi 

Audubon has identified 41 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Mississippi. These range from the Strawberry Plains Audubon Center in Marshall County, which see hundreds of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds every summer, to barrier islands off the southern coast. The barrier islands of Horn, Petit Bois, and Ship Islands provide critical stopover habitats for trans-Gulf migrant land birds and several species of beach-nesting birds.  

How you can help, right now