Category: Recent News

Grassland birds prey on insects and rodents that damage crops or carry diseases such as Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. They share their habitat with bees and butterflies that pollinate fruits, vegetables, hay and other crops. Farmers and gardeners would see their crop yields decrease without the FREE ecological services these birds provide. Losing these […]

Snowy owls and Short-eared owls journey south from breeding grounds in the Arctic every year to spend the winter in the Washington County Grasslands Important Bird Area (IBA).  They come seeking abundant populations of the mice, voles and other small prey they depend on for survival. Thousands of bird watchers and photographers flock to the […]

Help FIBA Raise $60,000 to Purchase & Protect 64 Acres of critical habitat for Short-eared owls and other at-risk grassland birds!  Friends of the IBA is the only nonprofit acquiring and conserving critical habitat in the Washington County Grasslands for NY’s endangered and at-risk grassland birds.  Short-eared owls, Northern harriers, American kestrels, Eastern meadowlarks, Upland […]

Flocks of 40 – 50 or more Short-eared owls were once a common sight across New York State. Now, less than 100 remain. Join Friends of the IBA (FIBA) at Saratoga Library on November 1st to learn about the hidden life of these mysterious owls and the habitat in our own back yard that’s critical to their survival! Presented […]

Fall Bird Migration Kicks Off with New Signage Added to 38 Bird Conservation Areas   I Bird NY Challenge Engages Young People in Beginning Birding   New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the progress of I BIRD NY, launched in May to build on the State’s efforts to […]

Friends of the Washington County Grasslands IBA had an exciting announcement to coincide with the public launch of a fundraising campaign to purchase a 64-acre parcel of land in Washington County. The purchase will preserve critical habitat for New York’s endangered and threatened grassland birds. “Thanks to a generous grant of $50,000 from the Open […]

Your letters are needed! Tell your legislators to ensure that Short-eared owls and other imperiled grassland birds do not disappear from New York State! The Washington County Grasslands Important Bird Area is critical to the survival of Short-eared owls in New York State. It supports 10 grassland bird “Species of Greatest Conservation Need”- over 200 […]

WE DID IT!! Friends of the IBA has been awarded a $75,000 Professional Development grant from the 2017 New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP)! Thanks to the generosity of our members, supporters and the Board of Directors we raised the $25,000 in matching funds required to apply for the maximum amount. We were one […]

Short-eared owls, a New York State endangered species, nest and roost on the ground. The owls emerge from the tall grasses where they hide and rest around dusk each day to hunt for mice and voles. The sight of a dozen or more “Shorties” flying low over a field is a spectacle you’ll never forget […]

Friends of the IBA’s Alfred Z. Solomon Grassland Bird Viewing Area offers premier bird viewing year-round. This site is a known “hot-spot” for wintering raptors such as Short-eared owls, Snowy owls and Rough-legged hawks.  Northern harriers and Red-tailed hawks hunt the fields year-round. Look for grassland songbirds such as Bobolinks, Eastern meadowlarks and Savannah sparrows during the […]