Important Bird Area
The Lower San Pedro River was formally recognized as an Arizona Important Bird Area at an event held to formally dedicate Liz's Grove in January 2008. Below is the text from the speech given by Paul Green, Executive Director of Tucson Audubon, at the ceremony.
Lower San Pedro Important Bird Area
Introduction
Tucson Audubon is extremely pleased to be invited to speak at this special event, and to recognize the value of what Paul and Sarah Schwennesen of Double Check Ranch are doing here to conserve the wildlife importance of this very sensitive and valuable habitat.
IBA Program
The IBA program is global in scope, and is run out of my home town of Cambridge, England. BirdLife works through partners in many countries, with Audubon being the partner in the U.S. Globally there are currently 10,000 sites in 200 countries; in the Americas, there are 2000 sites in 21 countries.
Tucson Audubon initiated the program in Arizona in 2002, and now runs it in partnership with the State Office of National Audubon. Scott Wilbor is Tucson Audubon's Important Bird Area Conservation Biologist while Tice Supplee is Audubon Arizona's Conservation Director. To date 30 sites have been identified in Arizona, with another 30 coming.
Scott and Tice work in partnership with Arizona Game and Fish, and contribute to the Arizona Bird Conservation Plan. By identifying the most important sites at which to implement large-scale conservation efforts, the IBA program helps to ensure the protection of all bird species in all habitats across the state.
How are IBA sites selected?
Sites are nominated and selected after careful review by our state Science Advisory Committee. The data-driven selection of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) has been a particularly effective way of identifying conservation priorities.
To qualify as an IBA, sites must satisfy at least one of the following criteria:
- Hold significant numbers of one or more globally threatened species;
- Are one of a set of sites that together hold a suite of restricted‐range species or biome‐restricted species;
- Have exceptionally large numbers of migratory or congregatory species
- Support avian research or educational programs focusing on birds.
Important Bird Areas are not just good for birds but provide good correlations to other forms of wildlife because of the habitat that exists. Tucson Audubon will continue to promote conservation efforts along the Lower San Pedro, working with landowners and other partners.
~Paul Green, Executive Director, Tucson Audubon
"Tucson Audubon has been instrumental in securing international Important Bird Area designation for the lower San Pedro River, including BLM’s conservation area. The area is crucial habitat for recovery of the imperiled Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, and for the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo. It is also an area of global importance for Bell’s Vireo." Center for Biological Diversity