3.3 Birds
North Carolina contains portions of three Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs)— Southeastern Coastal Plain BCR27, Piedmont BCR29, and Appalachian Mountains BCR28—as defned by US NABCI (2000) to encourage and facilitate conservation with ecological rather than political boundaries. Each BCR has conservation plan(s) outlin- ing conservation actions specifc to the species and habitats contained therein (see list in Appendix I). Audubon has identifed 95 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in North Carolina (see web page: http://netapp.audubon.org/iba/Reports), 30 of which are recognized as globally important. Te IBA program is a global efort to identify and conserve areas that are vital to birds and other biodiversity. Te IBA reports associated with each site provide a description of habi- tats available and a list of species occurring in the IBA, identify threats likely to impact the site or species, and provide recommendations for conservation action. Te Carolina Bird Club (see webpage: http://www.carolinabirdclub.org) maintains well-documented records of birds in North and South Carolina, and through a quarterly ornithological journal, Te Chat , publishes scientifc articles, reports of bird counts, and general notes about bird sightings. An online searchable database of material published in Te Chat provides occurrence data spanning 1971 to present day. Citizen science eforts such as eBird have also become an important source of information. Each year, NABCI, in partnership with 18 other organizations, issues a “State of the Birds” report, which combines information from eBird and other sources to illustrate a high-level view of bird conservation across the country (NABCI 2014) . In 2012, NCWRC published “Conservation Recommendations for Priority Terrestrial Wildlife Species and Habitats in North Carolina,” a guide to development and habitat management practices to best protect priority species and habitats (NCWRC 2012) . Simple recommendations are accompanied by an extensive appendix of backing research for each. NCWRC will continue to promote these practices and update the guide as needed. 3.3.8 Recommendations In general, protection and restoration of natural community composition and function and protection of surrounding natural areas under current conditions are the best ways to ensure suitable habitats are available for bird species. Measures that protect a large and diverse pool of populations are the best way to ensure that species are able to survive future stresses and adapt to changing climate conditions. Data needs to be collected using standardized, accepted protocols that can be used by others and should be entered into the Avian Knowledge Network (appropriate node).
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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