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Vermont IBA Program
For the past five years, Audubon Vermont
has worked with the state's eight chapters, state agencies,
NGO's, local birders and other conservation minded volunteers
in
identifying
and
nominating
Important Bird Areas (IBAs) throughout the state. The nomination
and designation phase (Phase I) proved to be a successful
collaboration of people and resources that has resulted in
17 IBAs and four IBA Complex's (IBAs focusing on individual
species at multiple sites). These IBAs now form the basis
of Audubon Vermont's conservation efforts designed to protect
birds and the habitats critical to their survival.
Vermont's Important Bird Area Program is currently working
on Phase II of the program which focuses on completing the
Vermont IBA Technical Report along with supporting and developing
monitoring projects at Vermont's IBAs. These projects
include regular monitoring of IBAs by local chapters, the
Vermont Marshbird Monitoring Program and participation in
the Vermont Breeding Bird Atlas.
By creating a sense of ownership between IBAs and chapters,
NGO's, and the birding community, Audubon looks to make the
Vermont IBA Program a key component of avian conservation
in the state. To this end Audubon is actively integrating
the Vermont IBA Program with the North American Bird Conservation
Initiative (NABCI).
Vermont IBAs
Berlin Pond (Berlin/Montpelier)
Mountain lake and associated forest
and wetlands (900 acres).
Undeveloped shoreline and no motorized boats. Municipal water
supply.
Important species include: Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe,
Sora, Goshawk.
Bragdon Preserve (Woodstock)
VT Institute of Natural Science (VINS)
Upland forest, fields and meadows
(80 acres)
Location of VINS bird banding station which has been operated
since 1981.
More than 40,000 birds banded, approx. 120 different species.
Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area
(Addison County)
State managed wetlands and associated
forests and agricultural fields (3000 acres).
Breeding location for state endangered species, migratory
stopover.
Important species include; the endangered Osprey and Upland
Sandpiper, the threatened Black Tern, Snow and Canada Goose,
Grasshopper Sparrow and numerous shorebirds.
Delta Park (Colchester)
River bottom delta and associated
wetlands (55 acres).
Migratory stopover for terns, passerines, shorebirds and waterfowl.
Important species include; Common Tern, 23 species of shorebirds
and large concentrations of waterfowl.
Herrick's Cove (Rockingham)
River delta and associated riparian habitat along Connecticut
River (395 acres).
Migratory stopover, more than 220 species observed.
Important species include; large diversity of migratory landbirds,
shorebirds and waterfowl.
Lake Bomoseen/Hubbardton Marsh (Hubbardton)
Lake and associated wetlands (470
acres).
Breeding location for rare marshbirds and high density of
breeding waterfowl.
Important species includes; Least Bittern, Sora, Wood Duck
and Pied-billed Grebe.
Little Otter Creek Wildlife Management
Area (Ferrisburg)
Wetland and associated riparian and
lacustrian habitats
Breeding location for state endangered and threatened species
and marshbirds.
Important species include; endangered Osprey, American and
Least Bittern and American Coot.
Mississquoi National Wildlife Refuge
(Swanton)
River delta with extensive wetlands
and bottomland forest (6300 acres).
Breeding location for state endangered and threatened species,
waterfowl and marshbirds, also a migratory stopover for waterfowl,
shorebirds and terns.
Important species include; Great Blue Heron, the endangered
Osprey, threatened Black Tern, Pied-billed Grebe and Least
Bittern.
Mud Creek Wildlife Management Area
(Alburg)
Cattail marsh and associated forest
(1200 acres).
Breeding location for state threatened species and marshbirds.
Important species include; the threatened Black Tern, American
and Least Bittern and Common Moorhen.
Nulhegan Basin (Essex County)
Extensive boreal habitat with associated
forests and wetlands (26000 acres).
Breeding location for state endangered and rare species.
Important species include; Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker
and Gray Jay.
Poultney River/ East Bay (West Haven)
Riparian and bottomland forest and
associated wetlands adjacent to mountains (2600 acres).
Breeding location for state endangered species, site of long-term
research.
Important species include; Peregrine Falcon, Golden-winged
Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Whip-poor-will.
Sandbar Wildlife Management Area (Milton)
Large river delta with extensive
wetlands and bottomland forest (1700 acres).
Breeding location for state endangered and rare species, and
marshbirds, migratory stopover for waterfowl and shorebirds
and site of long-term research.
Important species include; the endangered Osprey, Cerulean
Warbler, Northern Harrier and Pied-billed Grebe.
South Bay Wildlife Management Area
(Orleans County)
Lake and associated wetlands (1500
acres).
Breeding location for state threatened and rare species.
Important species include; the threatened Black Tern, Common
Moorhen and American Bittern.
Victory Bog Basin (Victory)
Extensive boreal habitat with associated
forests and wetlands (1500 acres).
Breeding location for rare and priority species.
Important species include; Gray Jay, Black-backed Woodpecker
and Boreal Chickadee.
West Rutland Marsh (West Rutland)
Extensive cattail marsh (2100 acres).
Breeding location for rare and priority species.
Important species include; Least and American Bittern, Virginia
Rail, Pied-billed Grebe and Blue-winged Warbler.
Young Island (Grand Isle)
State owned island in Lake Champlain
(5 acres).
Breeding location for rare and priority species, primarily
colonial waterbirds.
Important species include; Great Black-backed Gull, Black-crowned
Night Heron and Herring Gull.
Common Tern Nesting Islands IBA Complex (Grand Isle and Franklin
Counties)
Four small islands in Lake Champlain,
Popasquash, Rock, Grammas and Hen Islands.
Breeding location for state endangered species.
Important species include Common Tern and Caspian Tern.
Peregrine Falcon Eyre IBA Complex (Statewide)
Thirty cliff sites statewide.
Breeding location for state endangered species.
Important species includethe endangered Peregrine Falcon.
Common Loon Lakes IBA Complex (Statewide)
Forty-five lakes statewide.
Breeding location for state endangered species.
Important species include the endangered Common Loon.
Bicknell's Thrush IBA Complex (Statewide)
Twenty-four sites statewide.
Breeding location for priority species.
Important species include Bicknell's Thrush, and Blackpoll
Warbler.
Franklin County Airport IBA (Highgate)
Franklin Co. Airport (110 acres).
Breeding location for priority species.
Important species include Grasshopper Sparrow and Upland Sandpiper.
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