Important Bird Areas

Great Egret in Everglades National Park, Florida. Photo: Anuradha Shankar/探花精选 Photography Awards

Many of America鈥檚 most beloved and biologically rich landscapes are in grave danger.

From the Arctic Slope in Alaska to the Mississippi Delta, and from the Northeast鈥檚 Long Island Sound to the wetlands of the Everglades, the power of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) cannot be overstated. 探花精选 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.

As the U.S. partner for , 探花精选 spearheads an ambitious effort to identify, monitor, and protect the most important places for birds. We also collaborate with 19 international partners to extend a web of protection throughout the Western Hemisphere. To date 探花精选 has identified 2,758 IBAs covering 417 million acres of public and private lands in the United States. Among them are high-priority Global IBAs鈥攑laces like New York City鈥檚 Jamaica Bay, areas within Alaska鈥檚 Arctic Slope, and coastal bird sanctuaries in Texas. Birds depend on a diverse range of habitats, and the threats that confront them are equally varied.

Curious how you can help protect an IBA near you? Download a copy of . To learn more about the program, . For additional questions regarding Important Bird Areas, contact iba@audubon.org. To request IBA spatial data please .

Summary of U.S. Important Bird Areas

IBA Priority Number of IBAs Acres Encompassed
Global 720 330,526,301
Continental 113 18,939,577
State 1,999 67,937,805
Total 2,832 417,403,683