David Sibley

The University of Georgia’s State Botanical Garden and Whitehall Forest were designated as the state’s 47th Important Bird Area (IBA) in 2006. The Audubon Society’s IBA program is a global effort to identify and then protect areas important for maintaining bird populations. IBAs are critical to birds during some part of their
life cycle.

“Many bird species follow rivers during their migrations and this area is perfect for them to stop and use for feeding, nesting and breeding,” said Jim Wilson, Georgia’s former IBA coordinator.

Among the breeding species at the Garden, a number are high conservation priorities in the state, including Swainson’s Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Wood Thrush.

The UGA sites join other IBAs across the state, including Callaway Gardens, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, the Okefenokee Swamp and the Chattahoochee National Forest.

Eugene MacIntyre

Tags: Birds, Nature, State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Summer 2007, Wildlife