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Important Bird Areas

Wheeler Marsh

Wheeler Marsh, Milford

Audubon’s Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program is a global effort to identify and protect habitat that will protect sustainable populations of birds. The IBA Program is built around an adaptable, science-based blueprint that allows Audubon and other conservation partners to make sound conservation decisions in the face of considerable uncertainty from the changing climate, the economy, and gaps in our knowledge of the abundance and distribution of our highest priority species.

Connecticut’s IBA Program strives to complement the conservation programs of our state, federal, and non-profit partners. By connecting people with nature, working with land stewards to develop conservation strategies, and supporting implementation of these plans at a local level, the IBA Program fills an important niche in statewide conservation efforts by working to protect areas that aren’t easily protected under other conservation programs.

The IBA program is overseen by BirdLife International, with Audubon as the partner designate in the United States, and has become a key component of many bird conservation efforts, including, Partners in Flight, North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, and the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan.

Connecticut currently has 27 publicly announced IBAs and is working to announce additional sites in the future.

  1. Audubon Center at Bent of the River, Southbury
  2. Audubon Greenwich (including Quaker Ridge), Greenwich
  3. Bafflin Sanctuary Complex, Pomfret
  4. Barn Island Wildlife Management Area*, Stonington *
  5. Connecticut College Arboretum, Waterford and New London
  6. Cove Island Park, Stamford
  7. East Rock Park, New Haven
  8. Falkner Island Unit of McKinney NWR, Guilford
  9. Good Hill Farm Sanctuary, Woodbury and Roxbury
  10. Great Captain's Island, Greenwich
  11. Greenwich Point Park, Greenwich
  12. Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison *
  13. Lighthouse Point Park, New Haven
  14. Mamacoke Island, Waterford
  15. Menunketesuck and Duck Islands, Westbrook
  16. Milford Point/Wheeler Marsh, Milford
  17. Naugatuck State Forest, Naugatuck and Beacon Falls
  18. Northwest Park, Windsor
  19. Quinnipiac River Tidal Marsh, North Haven, New Haven, Hamden
  20. Salt Meadow Unit of McKinney NWR, Westbrook
  21. Sandy Point, West Haven
  22. Silver Sands State Park and Charles Island, Milford
  23. Station 43, South Windsor
  24. Stratford Great Meadows Area
  25. TNC's Devil's Den, Weston, Redding
  26. Topsmead State Forest, Litchfield
  27. White Memorial Foundation, Litchfield, Morris

 *Globally Important Bird Areas

Conservation Plans:
Bent of the River IBA Conservation Plan (32.8 MB PDF)
Cove Island Park IBA Conservation Plan (12.4 MB PDF)
Good Hill Farm IBA Plan (10.8 MB PDF)
Great Captains Island IBA Plan (9 MB PDF)
Lighthouse Point Park IBA Conservation Plan (6.9 MB PDF)
Mamacoke IBA Plan (1.4 MB PDF)
Naugatuck State Forest IBA Conservation Plan (21.8 MB PDF)
Northwest Park IBA Conservation Plan (33.7 MB PDF)
Salt Meadow Unit IBA Plan (15 MB PDF)
Station 43 Sanctuary IBA Conservation Plan (2.2 MB PDF)
Stratford Great Meadows IBA Plan (92 MB PDF)