CRITERIA FOR SITE SELECTION

An Important Bird Area is a site that provides essential habitat to one or more species of birds. In general, IBAs should be clearly distinguishable in ornithological importance from the surrounding landscape. To qualify as an Important Bird Area, a site needs to meet only one of the criteria; however, a particular site will often meet several criteria, and some of the criteria are somewhat overlapping.

The site regularly holds significant numbers of one or more species listed as endangered by the state of Indiana. See Table 1 for list of species. To qualify, the site should be one of regular and recent occurrence in breeding or non-breeding seasons (as opposed to sporadic or historic occurrence) in the last ~10 years. Thresholds of significance will vary by species, but may include sites with 1% or more of the total state population (if known) in a season, or the 3-5 sites in the state with the largest regularly occurring numbers.

Table 1. Endangered Species in Indiana (IBA Category 1).

Species	IBA Targets	Suggested Thresholds	1% *	Habitat/Comments
American Bittern	~5 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Marsh
Least Bittern	~5 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)	10 p	Marsh
Black-crowned Night-Heron	~5 sites (B)	10+ pair (B)	50 p	Marsh
Yellow-cr'wn'd Night-Heron	~5 sites (B)	5+ pair (B)		Marsh
Trumpeter Swan	Any sites	None	2	Marsh/Does not regularly occur
Osprey	~5 sites (B or NB?)	2+ pair (B)	250	Marsh, Open Water/migratory sites?
Bald Eagle	~5 sites (B)/~5 sites (NB)	1+ pair (B)/3+ (NB)	135	Marsh, Open Water
Northern Harrier	~5 sites (B)/~5 sites (NB)	2+ pair (B)/5+ (NB)		Marsh, Grassland
Peregrine Falcon	~5 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Urban, Cliffs, Shore/Urban? Mig?
King Rail	~5 sites (B)	1+ pair (B)		Marsh
Black Rail	Any sites	None		Marsh
Virginia Rail	~5 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Marsh
Sandhill Crane	~5 sites (B)/~5 sites (NB)	3+ pair (B)/50+ (NB)	350	Marsh, Wet Meadow
Piping Plover	~5 sites (B)	3+ pair (B)	1	Shoreline
Upland Sandpiper	~5 sites (B)/~5 sites (NB)	2+ pair (B)/5+ (NB)	20	Grassland, Ag
Interior Least Tern	~5 sites (B)	5+ pair (B)	300	Shoreline, Marsh
Black Tern	~5 sites (B)/	3+ pair (B)	50 p	Marsh/Mig. Sites?
Barn Owl	~5 sites (B)/~5 sites (NB)	1+ pair (B)/2+ (NB)		Agr, Pine Forest?/roosts?
Short-eared Owl	~5 sites (B)/~5 sites (NB)	2+ pair (B)/5+ (NB)		Grass, Marsh
Bewick's Wren	~5 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)
Sedge Wren	~5 sites (B)	1+ pair (B)		Marsh, Wet Meadow
Marsh Wren	~5 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Marsh
Loggerhead Shrike	~5 sites (B or NB)	2+ pair (B)/3+ (NB)		Grass, Shrub
Kirtland's Warbler	Any	None		Does not regularly occur
Golden-winged Warbler	~5 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Succ. Forest
Bachman's Sparrow	Any	None		Does not regularly occur
Henslow's Sparrow	~5 sites (B)	5+ pair (B)		Grass, Agr.
Yellow-headed Blackbird	~5 sites (B)	5+ pair (B)		Marsh, Agr.

Source: Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources. *1% figures are national estimates, for reference only; Source: American Bird Conservancy.

The site regularly holds significant numbers of one or more species of high conservation priority in Indiana. See Table 2 for list of species. This includes: Species with Partners in Flight regional priority scores of 20 or higher and significant area importance in Indiana; national WatchList species with significant occurrence in Indiana; and Indiana species of special concern. Thresholds will vary by species, but may include sites with 10% or more of the total state population (if known) in a season, or the 2-3 sites in the state with the largest regularly occurring numbers.

Table 2. High-Priority Species in Indiana (IBA Category 2).

Species	IBA Targets	Suggested Thresholds	1% *	Habitat/Comments
Great Egret	2-3 sites (B)	25+ pair (B)		Marsh
American Black Duck	2-3 sites (B)/2-3 sites (NB)	5+ pair (B)/250+ NB		Marsh, open water
Mississippi Kite	Any (B)	None		Does not regularly occur?
Sharp-shinned Hawk	2-3 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Deciduous forest?
Red-shouldered Hawk	2-3 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Deciduous forest?
Broad-winged Hawk	2-3 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Deciduous forest/NB covered by cat4
Northern Bobwhite	2-3 sites (B)/2-3 sites (NB)	10+ indiv. (B or NB)		Fields, shrub, woodland
Yellow Rail	2-3 sites (NB)	1+ (NB)		Wet Meadow, Ag/Infrequent (spring)
Franklin's Gull	2-3 sites (NB)	2+ (NB)	500 p	Marsh, Grass/Rare occurrence?
Chuck-will's-widow	2-3 sites (B)	3+ pair (B)		Deciduous forest, fields
Chimney Swift	2-3 sites (B)	15+ pair (B)		Chimneys/man-made structures?
Red-headed Woodpecker	2-3 sites (B)	3+ pair (B)		Open fields, woodland
Acadian Flycatcher	2-3 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Floodplain forest
Wood Thrush	2-3 sites (B)	5+ pair (B)		Deciduous forest/choose by density?
Bell's Vireo	2-3 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Riparian woodland
Yellow-throated Vireo	2-3 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Floodplain forest
Prairie Warbler	2-3 sites (B)	10+ pair (B)		Successional forest, shrub/by density?
Cerulean Warbler	2-3 sites (B)	5+ pair (B)		Moist deciduous forest
Black-and-white Warbler	2-3 sites (B)	3+ pair (B)		Deciduous forest
Prothonotary Warbler	2-3 sites (B)	5+ pair (B)		Swamp, forest
Worm-eating Warbler	2-3 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Deciduous forest
Kentucky Warbler	2-3 sites (B)	2+ pair (B)		Deciduous forest
Connecticut Warbler	2-3 sites (NB)	1+ (NB)		Bog, moist woodland
Hooded Warbler	2-3 sites (B)	3+ pair (B)		Moist forest
Dickcissel	2-3 sites (B)	10+ pair (B)		Grass, Agr./by density?
Field Sparrow	2-3 sites (B), 2-3 sites (NB)	10+ pair (B)/10+NB		Grass/Agr.
LeConte's Sparrow	2-3 sites (NB)	2+ indiv. (NB)		Wet meadow/infrequent occurrence?
Nelson's Sharp-tail Sparrow	2-3 sites (NB)	2+ indiv. (NB)		Marsh
Bobolink	2-3 sites (B)	5+ pair (B)		Grass/Agr.
Western Meadowlark	2-3 sites (B)	10+ pair (B)		Grass, agr.

Sources: The Nature Conservancy, Partners in Flight, Colorado Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society.

A site regularly supporting such species may be considered an outstanding example of a representative, rare, or threatened habitat type. See Table 3 for species/habitat lists. Candidate sites should be predominantly of a distinct habitat type and exceptional in size or intactness of the habitat relative to the surrounding area and other similar habitats. Some attempt will be made to distribute representative sites across Indiana's major ecoregions. Consideration will also be given to sites with exceptionally high species diversity.

Table 3. Representative habitat types and associated species (IBA Category 3).

Habitat Type	IBA Targets	Associated Species*
Open wetlands (prairie pothole, marsh)	2-3 sites per ecoregion	Western Grebe, Redhead, Northern Harrier, Sandhill Crane, Wilson's Phalarope, Forster's Tern, Sedge Wren, Marsh Wren.
Sedge meadows, open peatlands	2-3 sites per ecoregion	Northern Harrier, Sandhill Crane, Sedge Wren, Clay-colored Sparrow, Bobolink.
Swamps	2-3 sites per ecoregion	Wood Duck, American Black Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser.
Grasslands (prairies, old fields)	2-3 sites per ecoregion	Northern Harrier, Northern Bobwhite, Sandhill Crane, Upland Sandpiper, Short-eared Owl, Red-headed Woodpecker, Sedge Wren, Loggerhead Shrike, Clay-colored Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Bobolink.
Shrublands (wet and dry)	2-3 sites per ecoregion	Ruffed Grouse, Northern Bobwhite, American Woodcock, Willow Flycatcher, Veery, Brown Thrasher, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue-winged Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Canada Warbler.
Early succession forest	2-3 sites per ecoregion	Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, American Woodcock, Black-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Whip-poor-will, Eastern Wood Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Veery, Philadelphia Vireo, Blue-winged Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Canada Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Purple Finch.
Floodplain forest	2-3 sites per ecoregion	Hooded Merganser, Eastern Wood Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Yellow-throated Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Baltimore Oriole.
Southern deciduous forest	2-3 sites per ecoregion	Wild Turkey, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chuck-will's-widow, Whip-poor-will, Chimney Swift, Eastern Wood Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler.
Northern deciduous forest	2-3 sites per ecoregion	Wild Turkey, Black-billed Cuckoo, Whip-poor-will, Chimney Swift, Eastern Wood Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Veery, Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Northern coniferous forest	2-3 sites per ecoregion	Chimney Swift, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Veery, Cape May Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Canada Warbler, Purple Finch.

Source: The Nature Conservancy. These are species of conservation concern; common species, and some species from Tables 1 and 2, are omitted here but may also apply. Note:* Occurrences and numbers of each species should be documented as fully as possible.

The site regularly holds significant numbers of individuals or pairs of one or more species, breeding or non-breeding, including migration. See Table 4 for numerical thresholds. Numerical thresholds are guidelines only, not absolute, and should be based on total counts of birds made over a single period of time rather than on cumulative totals (except raptors, for which seasonal counts may be used).

Table 4. Suggested thresholds for concentrations (IBA Category 4).

Taxonomic Group	Suggested Threshold	Count Method	Applies To:
Single-species	1% or more of total state population (if known) during a given season, or highest concentration in the state of a species.	Daily high counts (average or peak); for songbirds, density may be used.	Any species (except introduced, feral or nuisance populations).
Waterfowl	5,000 or more during a given season.	Daily high counts (average or peak).	Ducks, Geese, Swans (except introduced, feral, or nuisance).
Gulls and Terns	5,000 or more gulls or 100 or more terns during a given season.	Daily high counts (average or peak).	Gulls and Terns
Shorebirds	500 or more shorebirds	Daily high counts (average or peak).	All shorebird species (sandpipers, plovers, phalaropes, etc.).
Raptors	1,000 or more (migratory "bottlenecks").	Seasonal totals from a hawk-watch site or network of sites.	All migratory raptors (hawks, eagles, falcons, kites, vultures).
Wading Birds	50 or more breeding pairs.	Seasonal peak counts from colonial surveys, nest counts.	Herons, Night-Herons, and Egrets.
Migratory Landbirds	No threshold. Site should be a migratory stopover or seasonal concentration area. Site may qualify on the basis of demonstrably high numbers of birds occurring in migration, high densities of breeding species, or as migrant traps relative to the surrounding landscape.	Rate of migration (e.g., birds per hour or per day), point counts, area searches, etc.	All migratory landbirds.

The site has special conservation value as distinguished by a record of avian research and/or long-term monitoring that has made a significant contribution to bird conservation. Indicators of such include published articles in peer-reviewed state or national journals.

CRITERIA FOR SITE SELECTION

Species

IBA Targets

Suggested Thresholds

1% *

Habitat/Comments

American Bittern

~5 sites (B)

2+ pair (B)

Marsh

Least Bittern

~5 sites (B)

2+ pair (B)

10 p

Marsh

Black-crowned Night-Heron

~5 sites (B)

10+ pair (B)

50 p

Marsh

Yellow-cr'wn'd Night-Heron

~5 sites (B)

5+ pair (B)

Marsh

Trumpeter Swan

Any sites

None

2

Marsh/Does not regularly occur

Osprey

~5 sites (B or NB?)

2+ pair (B)

250

Marsh, Open Water/migratory sites?

Bald Eagle

~5 sites (B)/~5 sites (NB)

1+ pair (B)/3+ (NB)

135

Marsh, Open Water

Northern Harrier

~5 sites (B)/~5 sites (NB)

2+ pair (B)/5+ (NB)

Marsh, Grassland

Peregrine Falcon

~5 sites (B)

2+ pair (B)

Urban, Cliffs, Shore/Urban? Mig?

King Rail

~5 sites (B)

1+ pair (B)

Marsh

Black Rail

Any sites

None

Marsh

Virginia Rail

~5 sites (B)

2+ pair (B)

Marsh

Sandhill Crane

~5 sites (B)/~5 sites (NB)

3+ pair (B)/50+ (NB)

350

Marsh, Wet Meadow

Piping Plover

~5 sites (B)

3+ pair (B)

1

Shoreline

Upland Sandpiper

~5 sites (B)/~5 sites (NB)

2+ pair (B)/5+ (NB)

20

Grassland, Ag

Interior Least Tern

~5 sites (B)

5+ pair (B)

300

Shoreline, Marsh

Black Tern