Historically, the Niangua River Watershed IBA was characterized by numerous glades and savannas in a woodland / forest matrix across hilly terrain (Nigh and Schroeder 2002). Today, savanna and woodland still persist in the IBA (especially on conservation lands), although much has grown up in second-growth forest, which now dominates the landscape. Thirteen percent of the Niangua River Watershed IBA is dedicated conservation land. These lands include: Ha Ha Tonka State Park (SP) (Missouri Department of Natural Resources ; 3,680 acres, 1,490 ha), Bennett Spring SP (MDNR; 3,208 acres, 1,299 ha), Lead Mine Conservation Area (CA) (Missouri Department of Conservation ; 7,027, 2,845 acres, ha), Barclay CA (MDC; 380 acres, 154 ha), Coffin Cave CA (74 acres, 30 ha), Bennett Spring Access and Fish Hatchery (MDC; 879 acres, 356 ha), and Bennett Spring Savanna (The Nature Conservancy; 920 acres, 372 ha).

The Niangua River Watershed IBA has a diversity of woodland succession, ranging from grassland-dominated savannas, to open woodlands, to closed canopy upland and riparian forest, which allows for a great diversity of woodland and forest birds, as well as birds inhabiting early successional habitats. Thirty-six species were detected in 1996 in restored oak-savanna/woodland on Ha Ha Tonka SP (E. P. Wiggers and T. R. Callahan, unpubl. data), many of which characterize open or early successional wooded habitats (e.g., Indigo Bunting, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Bobwhite, Summer Tanager, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-breasted Chat). Red-shouldered Hawks have also been reported to nest on Ha Ha Tonka SP. Forest species such as Acadian Flycatcher, Wood Thrush and Prothonotary Warbler occur at Ha Ha Tonka SP, as well glade birds like Prairie Warbler (Palmer and Palmer 2001). Scarlet Tanager, Ovenbird, and Cerulean, Kentucky, Prothonotary, and Worm-eating Warblers may be found at Lead Mine CA (Palmer and Palmer 2001).

Many successful savanna and woodland restoration projects using prescribed fire have been initiated on conservation lands in the Niangua River Watershed IBA. Such opportunities also exist on private lands within the IBA, if landowners are cooperative (Niangua Basin Conservation Opportunity Area description, MDC 2005). The close juxtaposition to recreational development along the Niangua River and the Lake of the Ozarks presents a current and future threat of habitat loss and fragmentation.