With the help of dozens of experts throughout the state, Audubon-California has completed a list of nearly 300 potential Important Bird Areas ("IBAs"), representative of the wealth of bird diversity in the state. California's IBA program, modeled after similar efforts in other states (and in countries around the world), seeks to guide future bird conservation activities by drawing attention to critical habitats and regions for birds, using criteria such as concentrations of sensitive species, large numbers of particular groups of birds (e.g. shorebirds) and the presence of rare and unique bird habitats. A list of preliminary IBAs for the state has been posted on Audubon-California's website for comment. If you have additions or suggestions, we hope to hear from you soon, as we are eager to finalize the list and to begin preparing accounts of each site for publication.

To view the list, go to: http://www.audubon-ca.org. Once in the website, click on "Conservation" (left side, 4th item under "Web Pages"), then on "IBA Program" (top, far right). For a hard copy of the preliminary IBAs, contact: Daniel S. Cooper, Biologist, Audubon-California, The Audubon Center, 6042 Monte Vista St., Los Angeles, CA 90042. (323) 254-0252.