LINCOLN, NEB. (May 6, 2005)--Bird enthusiasts searching for trails connected with the newly-released Important Bird Areas (IBA) in Nebraska, specific birding events, or nearby lodging will find all that and more by logging onto the Birding Trails website: www.nebraskabirdingtrails.com

"The Birding Trail is designed to assist our growing worldwide market of bird enthusiasts with getting the most enjoyment out of viewing the amazing number of bird species making their home in Nebraska," said Tom Tabor, ecotourism development consultant with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development's Travel and Tourism Division, a Trail sponsor.

The website features links to communities near IBAs, and to the Travel and Tourism Division's website--www.VisitNebraska.org-- where travelers can find lodging, current activities, and other information about specific regions of the state.

Audubon Nebraska, state office of the National Audubon Society, released its first-ever list of IBAs in Nebraska in late April. The 16 sites encompass more than 210,000 acres in 13 counties statewide and include:

* Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge
* Calamus Reservoir State Recreation Area
* Cedar Point Biological Station
* Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge
* Fontenelle Forest Nature Center
* Indian Cave State Park
* Kiowa Wildlife Management Area
* Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area
* Lake Ogallala State Recreation Area
* Missouri National Recreational River
* Neale Woods Nature Center
* Niobrara State Park
* Ponca State Park
* Rowe Sanctuary
* Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center
* Valentine National Wildlife Refuge

IBAs provide essential habitat for large numbers or a high diversity of birds, or for bird species whose declining populations have set off red flags for biologists.

"These sites are critical for the survival of birds in Nebraska," said Kevin Poague, IBA coordinator for Audubon Nebraska. "The IBA Program helps us understand that places even as small and close as our backyards can be important to birds on a national, continental, or even global scale."

The 16 IBAs encompass a variety of habitats, including wetlands and riparian systems, prairies, lakes, and forests. Each habitat serves different bird species. For example, Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary hosts tens of thousands of sandhill cranes on the Platte River during spring migration. Lake McConaughy near Ogallala is home to large numbers of nesting piping plovers, a federally threatened species, and least terns, a federally endangered species. In the panhandle, more than 50 pairs of breeding American avocets and hundreds of migrating Wilson's phalaropes and Franklin's gulls have been recorded. Indian Cave State Park, Fontenelle Forest, and Neale Woods were singled out for a high diversity of migrating songbirds, including several species, like the wood thrush, cerulean warbler, and scarlet tanager that are dependent on large tracts of mature forest. Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center encompasses one of the largest tracts of native tall-grass prairie remaining in Nebraska, attracting birds, such as upland sandpipers, bobolinks, and Sprague's pipits.

Audubon Nebraska's program is part of a global effort to identify the areas that are most important to birds in all seasons, and to focus conservation efforts to those areas where they will have the greatest effect for protecting birds. It is connected to other IBAs throughout the U.S. through the National Audubon Society, and the world through BirdLife International. Additional information can be found on Audubon Nebraska's website: www.nebraska.audubon.org

FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Tom Tabor at 800-228-4307, 402-471-7755,
or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it