How are IBA sites selected?
Sites are identified using a set of standardized and internationally agreed upon criteria that have gained worldwide recognition. IBAs can be identified under four main categories: sites regularly holding significant numbers of threatened species; sites regularly holding endemic species or species with restricted ranges; sites regularly holding an assemblage of species largely restricted to a biome or a unique or threatened community type; and sites where birds congregate in significant numbers when breeding, in winter, or during migration. IBAs are identified according to their significance (based on specific bird population thresholds) as either globally, continentally, or nationally significant.
