IBA Site Information

Raccoon River Savanna BCA

Joint IBA/BCA

Guthrie County

Directions: Off Highway 141, 3 miles southeast of Coone Rapids, take Fig Avenue south 3 miles to the River House on the Racoon River. Property covers several thousand acres on the Racoon River.

Description: Large contiguous acreage will approach 5000 acres when the donations to the Whiterock Conservancy are complete. Combination of well managed pasture land, savannah habitats and quality timber along the Racoon River currently has a good assemblage of grassland and woodland species. Timber is of high quality considering location in west central Iowa. Grasshopper Sparrows, Bobolinks, Dickcissel are already present in good numbers. Nice population of Wood Thrush, with 3-5 singing territorries. 57 species of breeding birds in a one square mile area on my last sampling visit. Scientifically based bird surveys are already underway, including 9 clusters of sampling points targeted during the breeding season. Conservancy is to be managed for natural resource protection and restoration, low impact recreation, and education including testing of sustainable agrigultural and grazing practices. Garsts started with birds as one of the signature forms of wildlife, and would like to study habitat changes and their affect on birds, and manage the area for the benefit of birds.

Criteria for this site
High conservation priority
Research and monitoring

Habitats found in this site
Wetland
Woodland
Grassland
Savanna/Shrub
Riparian

Ownership
Private
Non-governmental conservation agency; i.e., The Nature Conservancy, Natural Heritage Foundation