Stewardship

Approach

Caring for Your Land

Invasive Plants

Deer Management

Audubon Partnership/Important Bird Area

Preserve Management

Easement Monitoring

Bird Box Program

Wish List

Audubon Partnership/Important Bird Area

The Willistown Conservation Trust program area was recently designated as an Important Bird Area by Audubon Pennsylvania. An important bird area (IBA) is a site that is part of a global network of places recognized for their outstanding value to bird conservation. The IBA program developed from a need for a centralized source of information on important bird habitats, first in Europe, then the Middle East, and now in the United States. The National Audubon Society was the first organization to develop the IBA program in the United States.

Why are IBA's important?
The Important Bird Area program was established to reverse declining trends in bird population. Habitat loss and fragmentation, primarily from land development and deer browsing, are the most serious threats facing birds in Pennsylvania. Unless we slow the destruction and degradation of habitat, populations of many birds may decline to dangerously low levels.

How many IBA's are there in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has over 80 IBA's encompassing over one million acres of public and private lands. These areas include migratory staging areas, winter roost sites, and prime breeding areas for songbirds, wading birds, shorebirds, and other species.

Why is the Willistown Countryside special for birds?
The Upper Ridley and Crum Creek watersheds, which are part of the Trust's program area, have important characteristics to promote bird conservation and public education. These include a history of active conservation in the community, good land management practices, areas of public access, a diversity of habitat, and existing populations of rare, threatened, and declining birds. Local threatened species include the Eastern Meadowlark, the Bobolink, and many neotropical migratory species, such as the Kentucky Warbler and the Cerulean Warbler.

Important Bird Area Guide (all documents are in PDF format)
-Downloadable map for high speed connections
-Downloadable map for slower connections
-Printable list of public birding areas

Tell us about your bird sightings! As more land is protected and more contiguous open space is discovered and trusted by birds, we expect to see more species making their homes here in the Willistown area. Add yours to our list of sightings in the area.