This category includes the current list of Threatened or Endangered bird species
for Iowa. Three of these species (Bald Eagle, Piping Plover, Least Tern) are also
currently on the federal Threatened and Endangered species list. Species must be
breeding 2 years of the previous 6 years (since 1999), with evidence of either confirmed
or probable breeding according to definitions given in the Iowa Breeding Bird Atlas,
figure 4, page 5.
Endangered Species
- Northern Harrier
- Red-shouldered Hawk
- Peregrine Falcon
- King Rail
- Piping Plover
- Least Tern
- Barn Owl
- Short-eared Owl
Threatened Species
- Long-eared Owl
- Henslow's Sparrow
Species selected by the Technical Committee as being of high conservation priority.
A site has to support at least three species from this category in order to be nominated.
The same three species must be present at the site for 2 or more years out of the
previous 6 years (since 1999) with evidence of either confirmed or probable breeding
according to definitions given in the Iowa Breeding Bird Atlas, figure 4, page 5.
(See Appendix for habitat assemblages for category 2 species.)
- Bald Eagle
- American Bittern
- Least Bittern
- Black-crowned Night-Heron
- Broad-winged Hawk
- Greater Prairie-Chicken
- Common Moorhen
- American Woodcock
- Forster's Tern
- Black Tern
- Black-billed Cuckoo
- Chuck-will's-widow
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Loggerhead Shrike
- White-eyed Vireo
- Bell's Vireo
- Bewick's Wren
- Veery
- Wood Thrush
- Cerulean Warbler
- Prothonotary Warbler
- Worm-eating Warbler
- Kentucky Warbler
- Hooded Warbler
- Yellow-breasted Chat
- Grasshopper Sparrow
- Bobolink
Presumably such sites will include some species from the lists in categories 1 and
2, although the site might just be an especially good woodland, grassland, or other
area. (One example would be winter roost sites for large numbers of owls.)
A one-time count of qualifying concentrations must occur 2 out of previous 6 years
(since 1999).
The following criteria were selected:
- 4a. Waterfowl-a threshold of at least 500 waterfowl in winter or 1,000 in migration.
Canada Geese were specifically excluded in these counts.
- 4b. Gulls and Terns-a threshold of at least 1,000 gulls or 100 terns with the following
qualifiers: 5,000 for Franklin's Gull, 250 for Black Tern.
- 4c. Shorebirds-a threshold of at least 500 shorebirds.
- 4d. Wading birds-a threshold of at least 25 breeding pairs or 100 feeding or migratory
birds.
- 4e. Raptors-a threshold of at least 1,000 total migratory raptors (seasonal total).
We also added a category of 100 for wintering birds such as Bald Eagle.
- 4f. Landbirds-No threshold limits were established.
- 4g. Single-species concentrations - a minimum of 5% of statewide population for
a species.
- Common Loon - - Minimum 50
- Pied-billed Grebe - - Minimum 50
- American White Pelican - - Minimum 750
- Double-crested Cormorant - - Minimum 500
- Bald Eagle (migrants) - - Minimum 75
- American Coot - - Minimum 2,500
We noted that some of the raptor viewing sites (e.g., Hitchcock Area, Grammar Grove)
may fit in better in this category than in 4e above.
The birds listed in Category 2 break down approximately as follows relative to habitat
categories:
Wetlands-6 species
- American Bittern
- Least Bittern
- Black-crowned Night-Heron
- Common Moorhen
- Forster's Tern
- Black Tern
Woodlands-11 species
- Broad-winged Hawk
- Black-billed Cuckoo
- Chuck-will's-widow
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Bewick's Wren
- Veery
- Wood Thrush
- Cerulean Warbler
- Worm-eating Warbler
- Kentucky Warbler
- Hooded Warbler
Grasslands-3 species
- Greater Prairie-Chicken
- Grasshopper Sparrow
- Bobolink
Savanna/Shrub habitats-4 species
- Loggerhead Shrike
- White-eyed Vireo
- Bell's Vireo
- Yellow-breasted Chat
Riparian habitats-2 species
- American Woodcock
- Prothonotary Warbler