Learn About Important Bird Areas
3RBC Meeting — Wednesday, January 15, 2003

What do Presque Isle State Park, Shenango Reservoir, Moraine State Park, and Yellow Creek State Park have in common? The easy answer is that they are all great birding hotspots. But they share something else you may not know about: status on an official list of more than 70 locations designated as "Important Bird Areas" in Pennsylvania.

Steve Hoffman, Director of Bird Conservation for Pennsylvania Audubon, will explain the IBA concept and purpose at the Wednesday, January 15, 2003 membership meeting.

The location will be Botany Hall next to Phipps Conservatory in Schenley Park, Oakland, where our last two meetings were held. Doors will open at 6:45 PM for socializing in the Hall's lobby, and the meeting will begin at 7:30 PM. Treats will be provided by anyone who cares to bring them. Food and drink are permitted in the lobby, but not in the auditorium. For directions to the Conservatory, call 412-622-6914, then press 1.

IBA sites encompassing over one million acres of public and private lands in the state, include migratory staging areas, winter feeding and roost sites, and prime breeding areas for songbirds, wading birds and other species. The sites are designated for having exceptional concentration or diversity of birdlife; supporting endangered, threatened, and species of "special concern"; containing rare, threatened, or unique habitats; or where long-term avian research or monitoring is in progress. We'll learn what we can do to help protect these truly important areas.

To learn more about Pennsylvania's Important Bird Areas, visit the PA Audubon Website.