Bird Conservation Areas in Iowa

The Bird Conservation Areas of Iowa are included in this dataset. The Bird Conservation Area (BCA) concept was first proposed by the Midwest Working Group of Partners In Flight (PIF) to maintain populations of breeding grassland birds. That has scince been expanded to include birds breeding in a variety of habitats, including grassland, wetland, woodland, and savanna. This concept is backed by research that suggests viable bird populations require conservation efforts at a landscape-oriented level. The present model BCA encompasses at least 10,000 acres of public and/or private lands that includes approximately 25% of the area as key bird habitat. For instance, in a designated grassland BCA, at least 25% of the total land cover should be some type of grassland. Each BCA also should include a large "core" area of protected high-quality habitat (typically at least 20% of the area), with a minimum 2,000 acre core area targeted. Around this core are private lands, plus additional public tracts, managed for good bird habitat or at least maintained to be "neutral" in how they affect bird life. Many of these outlying parcels should be 100 acres or more of contiguous targeted habitat to complete a "matrix" of quality habitat for specific priority birds.