Ringgold County’s Kellerton Grasslands Important Bird Area (IBA) has been elevated to status of a Globally Important Bird Area(GIBA) by National Audubon, and by BirdLife International, based in Great Britain. The Kellerton Grasslands are best known in Iowa for the resident population of Greater Prairie Chickens, but the new GIBA designation was made based upon the region’s critical importance to nesting Henslow’s Sparrows, listed as an Iowa Threatened Species.
Kellerton GIBA also has dual designation as an Iowa DNR Bird Conservation Area (BCA). While Audubon’s IBA program recognizes sites critical for nesting by several declining bird species, or important for large migration stopovers, the BCA program is aimed at designating large landscapes of habitat critical to a wider variety of Iowa’s birds and even other wildlife. Kellerton was DNR’s original Iowa BCA, and the first such designation of a grassland in the nation.
Although prairie chickens were one of the DNR’s first targets for better habitat protection on a BCA landscape, it was quickly realized that the area also houses many other nesting species of greatest conservation need, including Henslow’s Sparrows, Grasshopper Sparrows, Loggerhead Shrikes, Bell’s Vireos and more. Nesting population studies of some species were begun through Iowa State University, with original Henslow’s Sparrow numbers compiled by Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit Leader Rolf Koford. Following Emeritus Professor Koford’s retirement, DNR Wildlife Diversity Biologist Bruce Ehresman took over collecting more nesting data. In early 2017 he submitted sufficient records to the National Audubon Society, so it could be considered for and receive Globally Important status.
GIBA designation is not easy to acquire, but large numbers of Henslow’s Sparrows nesting in the Kellerton Grasslands resulted in this BCA/IBA gaining only the second such international recognition in Iowa. The first was Effigy Mounds/Yellow River Forest BCA/GIBA, designated in 2013 for its nesting population of Cerulean Warblers, a species seeing a 70% national decline since 1966. Upon receiving Globally Important status, Iowa DNR and Iowa Audubon hope to target even more conservation effort, to assure the iconic species for each can stabilize or continue to recover, while also providing far better habitat for all wildlife.
Kellerton Grasslands BCA/GIBA offer some of the best grassland bird sighting opportunities in all of Iowa. Iowa Audubon is pleased to work in cooperation with Iowa DNR and the National Audubon Society to promote and protect this extremely crucial habitat and encourage birders to visit the area.