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Bird Conservation
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Important Bird Areas
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ARIZONA'S IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS PROGRAM
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Arizona's Important Bird Areas Program was established with Audubon in 2001. The program is co-administered between Audubon Arizona and the Tucson Audubon Society. Tucson Audubon laid the groundwork for and coordinated the IBA program full-time from 2002 through 2004. In 2005, Tice Supplee was hired as Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon Arizona. Tice now oversees the program in Arizona and works together with Scott Wilbor, the AZ IBA Program Conservation Biologist employed at Tucson Audubon to cover all aspects of the IBA Program in Arizona. Additionally the program has established an active Arizona IBA Science Committee composed of 14 members from all over the state which meets bi-annually to review IBA nominations and data and approve the identification of state IBAs. The Science Committee sets the Arizona IBA specific benchmarks for IBA criteria provided by National Audubon, as well as provides guidance on bird survey data collection needs and methodology, and lastly prioritizes potential IBAs for review.Audubon Arizona leads the process of IBA identification, compiles the Arizona IBA Database with National Audubon Science and pursues the Recognition of Identified IBAs and publicity for these areas. It also integrates IBAs and the birds they support into Audubon state policy. Audubon Arizona coordinates the nine local state chapter?s involvement in the IBA Program and serves on various planning committees and conservation initiatives, and with the AZ IBA Program Conservation Biologist at Tucson Audubon helps chapters and partner agencies in the conservation of IBAs. Presently Audubon Arizona represents the Audubon as member organization on the Upper San Pedro Partnership, a consortium of agencies and organizations working together to meet the water needs of area residents while protecting the San Pedro River.The Tucson Audubon AZ IBA Program office coordinates the program?s Avian Science Initiative and Southern Arizona IBA Conservation Initiative. The Avian Science Initiative is the program?s effort to collect science-based bird survey inventory data at potential IBAs for IBA identification and continued monitoring at priority Identified IBAs through citizen and agency efforts. IBA Bird Survey Teams composed of citizens and agency personnel are trained, coordinated, and facilitated through the AZ IBA Avian Science Initiative. Audubon Arizona also assists with IBA team coordination. The Tucson Audubon AZ IBA Program office manages all IBA bird survey data and a new web accessible AZ IBA Bird Survey Database (aziba.org) to analyze and report bird survey data from these sites to both participants and partnering agencies. The AZ IBA Program at Tucson Audubon also pursues avian research on species of concern (part of the Avian Science Initiative), as well as education, outreach, and conservation and protection efforts associated with IBAs in southern and southeast Arizona, i.e., the Southern AZ IBA Conservation Initiative.The Avian Science Initiative of the AZ IBA Program is part of the state?s Coordinated Bird Monitoring (CBM) program, overseen by the Arizona Bird Conservation Initiative (ABCI) at Arizona Game and Fish Department. Tucson Audubon has partnered with the University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources in the development of the AZ IBA Bird Survey Database, and supports a Graduate Research Assistantship in support of this initiative.Currently there are 30 IBAs identified in Arizona. Possibly another 20 areas could be identified before the end of 2008 to submit to Birdlife International. Still another possible additional 20 sites could be identified with additional data collection over time.IBA Bird Survey Teams have collected data at 28 sites; there are presently 15 sites with active data collection (in 2007). Training workshops are regularly held around the state each year for interested participants.Four avian habitat conservation plans/guides for AZ IBAs, as well as a riparian habitat management guide for landowners have been produced by the AZ IBA Program.Significant conservation successes have been achieved in terms of new acres under conservation (including restoration) management since the IBA program?s inception with Audubon, including: along the Lower San Pedro River IBA (125 acres purchased by SRP, Inc. and held in conservation), Upper Santa Cruz River IBA (600 acres: Tumacacori National Historical Park 300 ac. expansion and Tucson Audubon held conservation easement 300 ac.), Sabino & Bear Creeks IBA (7 ac. life estate management), and Lower Oak Creek IBA (5 acres in restoration).The AZ IBA Program works in partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department (through the Arizona Bird Conservation Initiative), the Sonoran Joint Venture, the Intermountain West Joint Venture, Arizona State Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, BLM, and various non-governmental organizations, colleges, and universities.
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Arnett Creek
| Name: |
Boyce Thompson Arboretum and Arnett -Queen Creeks |
| State: |
US-AZ |
| Counties: |
Pinal
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| Site Status: |
Recognized |
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Black-throated Sparrow-Marceline VandeWater
Boyce Thompson Arboretum IBA is located 3 miles west of Superior. It includes the north slope of Picketpost Mountain, foothill canyons and ridges, and two intermittent creeks. Boyce Thompson Arboretum is the steward for this IBA. Information about the arboretum and events can be found at http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu/The 100-acre tract of botanical gardens open to the public is used for education, research, and land conservation, and low-impact recreation (such as strolling, picnicking, picture-taking, animal-watching, etc.). Most of the IBA's vegetation (>85%) is typical of the Arizona Upland Subdivision of the Sonoran Desert. Several plant associations associated with differences in topography and soils produce a diverse flora. Marsh-fringed Ayer Lake and intermittently flowing Queen and Arnett Creeks provide traces of wetland and riparian habitat. Rugged Magma Ridge and the slopes above the creeks stand in stark contrast to the lush vegetation within the park. The IBA formal dedication event was in conjunction with International Migratory Bird Day on May 2007. Over 90 people participated in the early morning bird walks and the outdoor dedication in the garden. Dr. Carl Tomoff of Prescott College delighted the crowd with stories of the birds to be found at this most enchanting of our Arizona IBA's. More information can be found at http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu/
Of at least 275 species recorded in the IBA since the mid 1970s, 62 species of Special Conservation Status in Arizona include: Federally Endangered or Threatened (2 species), AZ Game & Fish State Threatened (15 species), AZ Partners in Flight Priority (APIF) Species (24 species), Audubon WatchList in Arizona (7 species), and U.S.F.W.S. Birds of Conservation Concern (14 species). The Arboretum provides important habitats and resources throughout the year, not just during a particular season, thus qualifying the site under the landbird criteria, "exceptional seasonal diversity of landbirds." Probably at least partly due to the "oasis"-like nature of the area, at least 78 accidental species (5 or fewer records) and 48 casual species (more than 5, but not occurring annually) have been recorded since 1976. Many of these birds were spring and/or fall transients, but some were noted during summer and others during winter. The site's attractiveness to vagrants and uncommon visitors is likely to continue, as exemplified by the presence of an Olive Warbler (previously undocumented here) during the inaugural Superior Christmas Bird Count held on January 4, 2004. Populations of some transient species periodically reach relatively high numbers, particularly on "fall-out" days. On occasion, dozens of some species and scores of others have been noted during spring and fall migration periods, thus qualifying the site also under the criteria "Outstanding Landbird stopover Site." This site also meets two other Arizona IBA criteria:
1) Special Conservation Status Species in Arizona, including (frequent to common): breeders (total: 12): 7 riparian species (listed below), plus Purple Martin (APIF), Elf Owl (Audubon-Yellow listed), Gilded Flicker (Audubon-Yellow listed), Costa's Hummingbird (Audubon-Yellow listed), and Crissal Thrasher (USFWS) ; migrants (total: 5): 2 riparian species (listed below), plus Gray Flycatcher (APIF), Black-throated Gray Warbler (APIF, USFWS), Brewer's Sparrow (APIF, Audubon-Yellow listed); and wintering species: 2 riparian species (listed below). 2) Rare or unique habitat, that hold important species or species assemblages largely restricted to a distinctive habitat or ecological community type. The Arboretum's low-elevation riparian habitat is an exceptional example of this rare habitat in Arizona, and supports "riparian obligate" (or riparian dependent) species and species of special conservation status, breeders: Common-Black Hawk (APIF), Lucy's Warbler (Audubon-Yellow listed), Northern Beardless-tyrannulet (USFWS), Bell's Vireo (Audubon-Red listed), Broad-billed Hummingbird (USFWS), Abert's Towhee (Audubon-Yellow listed), and Yellow Warbler (USFWS), also noteworthy summer visitor, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo (APIF); migrants (frequent to common): Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Endangered), MacGillivray's Warbler (riparian dependent) (APIF) , and wintering species: Red-naped Sapsucker (riparian dependent) (APIF), and casual species, Gray Catbird (riparian dependent) (State threatened 1996). This combination of high species richness and occasionally high numbers is ecologically significant and provides a remarkable opportunity for visitors to observe and learn about birds. The aesthetically beautiful setting of the area is a bonus.
Issues of minor concern include: necessity to maintain fencing to restrain cattle entry and to discourage hunting; expansion of mineral extraction activities on nearby Tonto National Forest lands; flooding with its deleterious removal of riparian vegetation; reduction of stream flow from upstream use; potential for wild fire in desert scrub.
| Contact: |
| Vashti Supplee |
4250 East Camelback Road
Suite 310-K
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| Phoenix, AZ 85018 |
| phone: 602-468-6470 |
| email: tsupplee@audubon.org
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| Contact: |
| Scott Wilbor |
300 E. University Blvd. Suite 120
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| Tucson, AZ 85705 |
| phone: 520-628-1730 |
| email: swilbor@tucsonaudubon.org
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