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BC IBA Threats Assessment (5 yr) Guide
A detailed assessment of conservation threats
within each IBA every ~5 years is useful to
update information contained in online site
summaries. This information is used by BirdLife
partners to analyze threats at IBAs, and locally
to promote and prioritize conservation action.
Similar to habitats and land uses, threats are
IUCN classifications adopted by BirdLife
International for use in IBAs. The ultimate goal
is to be able to document the negative impacts
to birds (i.e. changes in their numbers and
distributions) resulting from threats described
by Caretakers, studies and other information.
Caretakers can assist by providing local
knowledge of threats at IBAs using the standard
terminology. Please be objective when
describing threats. There are a considerable
number of activities which are threatening; we
aim to identify the more serious and/or
frequently occurring threats. Even though you
will record some threats as ‘low risk’, these
threats still pose considerable danger to trigger
populations. Refer to Table 5 for an example of
a completed threats table and Appendix 1 for
some examples of threats analyses.
For each activity that is presently causing harm
and/or poses a serious threat to the long-term
survivorship and abundance of trigger
populations, please record the following:
1. The ‘timing’ of each threat:
 Presently occurring
 Imminent in the short-term (1-2 years)
 Medium-term (3-5 years)
 Longer-term (5+ years)
2. The proportion (e.g. 50%) of IBA area
affected by each threat.

Low risk threats generally lead to localized
changes to bird populations, but are less
likely to result in sustained changes where,
for example, a site would not qualify as an
IBA in future.

Moderate risk threats would cause
considerable and longer-term changes to
bird populations. IBA designations could be
down-listed from global to national for
example, or certain species may no longer
use the area.

High risk threats would result in
direct/indirect bird mortality, very low
breeding success, and/or birds no longer
using an area which ultimately would lead
to loss of status as an IBA in future.
Table 5. Abbreviated Threats Table
Invasive/problematic species
√ Timing
Introduced genetic material
Invasive alien species
√ Present
Problematic native species
Human intrusions/disturbance
Recreational activities
√ Present
War, civil unrest and military
exercises
Work and other activities
Transportation/Service
Corridors
Flight paths
Roads and railroads
Shipping lanes
√ Long
Utility and service lines
% area
Severity
100%
Mod
20%
Low
50%
High
In years when comprehensive threats
assessments are not made, Caretakers can
simply note a change (positive or negative) in
conservation threats in their annual reports.
3. The potential severity of the threat, within
the area and timeframe in which it occurs:
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Threat Definitions
Annual crops – ago-industry farming: large-scale
farming and generally the same crops or types of
crops are consistently grown year after year (i.e.
corn, grains etc.).
Annual crops – shifting agriculture: the cultivated or
cropped area is shifted regularly to allow soil
properties to recover under conditions of natural
successive stages of re-growth. Generally, a
minority of fields are in cultivation and a majority
are in various stages of natural re-growth.
Annual crops – small-holder farming: small-scale
family/community farm, generally rotational and
related to sustenance, but may sell surplus for
profit.
Livestock farming/ranching – agro-industry,
ranching or farming: large-scale cattle, dairy,
poultry, swine etc. where animals are generally
confined to smaller areas where landscapes are
heavily utilized and food/water supplied for their
sustenance.
Livestock farming/ranching – nomadic grazing: large
or medium-scale ranching, but where livestock
are truly nomadic, capable of survival if left unattended for periods.
Livestock farming/ranching – small holder grazing:
small-scale family/community farm normally
associated with sustenance, but may sell surplus
for profit.
Marine and freshwater aquaculture –
subsistence/artisanal: small-scale
family/community farm predominantly for
sustenance.
Habitat Effects – fishing and harvesting aquatic
resources: this category relates to harvesting of
aquatic resources, such as naturally occurring
kelp or clams that trigger species rely on for
survival/success. If the natural resources are
removed, birds/other wildlife are impacted.
Pollution: it is very easy to identify threats falling
under this category. Be aware that many
effluents are ‘treated’ and while still being
discharged, may have minimal overall impact on
the health of surrounding environments.
However, please try and identify ones that
are/will have conspicuous negative impacts to
trigger species, either directly or indirectly
because food sources or essential habitats have
become limited for example.
Transportation and Service Corridors – shipping
lanes: record this threat when a clear and
conspicuous connection exists between the IBA
and its trigger population(s), and the likelihood of
an oil spill. For example, if the IBA is situated in a
high traffic shipping lane, or where spills have
occurred in the past.
Transportation and Service Corridors – utility and
service lines: consider whether the IBA and
trigger species are threatened from potential oil
spills because they are underlain by utility and oil
service lines for example. Or perhaps there is a
proposal to extend or construct new
transmission lines in the near future within an
IBA.
Appendix 1: Threat Examples
1. Threat: ‘Transportation and Service
Corridors” (IUCN) – ‘shipping lanes’ (BLI)
Perennial non-timber crops: these mainly refer to
plantations, such as apple and peach orchards,
where a crop, other than timber, is harvested
each year.
A coastal IBA designated for a group of
breeding seabirds is situated in a high traffic
shipping zone. Abundance records for
trigger populations have declined
somewhat as shipping traffic have increased
through time. In this scenario, record
‘shipping lanes’ as a low threat.
Climate Change – drought or habitat shifting and
alteration or storms and floods or temperature
extremes: record these threats if there is
supporting evidence. For example, a government
report may have been released that indicates
your particular area/IBA is experiencing unusually
dry conditions which are directly related to
climate change and have led to the poor
success/death of native wildlife/flora.
If birds had died or had negatively and
conspicuously been impacted because of an
oil spill from shipping in the past, “shipping
lanes” could be identified as a moderate
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risk in this situation. If a threatened
population of birds would likely be
extirpated if even a ‘relatively’ small oil spill
occurred, risk could be identified as ‘high’ in
this situation.
further downstream to forage. Report this
as a low risk.
If there has been evidence (media
releases/other reports) of accidental
discharges of effluent that resulted in
considerable and what is expected to be
longer-term damage to the watercourse
and the flora/fauna supporting trigger
species, and many birds were injured/died,
this could be reported as high risk.
Do not automatically report ‘shipping lanes’
as a threat for all coastal associated IBAs.
There must be a clear and conspicuous
reason threats are included; in this case,
because the IBA is situated in a particularly
high traffic shipping area where perhaps
evidence of oiled beaches/birds exists.
Because you do not report a threat does
not, however, mean that a particular ‘class’
of threats would not be described in the
‘Conservation Issues’ section of the IBA
summary. For example, if an IBA is not in a
high traffic shipping zone but in an area
where there is shipping, you may wish to
note that the threat to birds from oil spills
does exist.
Note: for threats related to oil or gas
drilling, please use ‘Energy production and
mining - Oil and gas drilling’.
2. Threat: ‘Pollution’ (IUCN) – ‘industrial and
military effluents’ (BLI)
An industry is approved to discharge
effluent into a series of specially designed
holding ponds and an artificial wetland area
(the ‘treatment system’) that eventually
connects to a natural watercourse. Over
the years’ industrial capacity has increased
and the treatment system does not appear
to have been adequately maintained:
discharge into the watercourse has
increased, there is a new and conspicuous
grey/blue ‘sheen’ to the effluent, a greycoloured algal growth currently extends
downstream from where the effluent
enters into the watercourse, and there is a
conspicuous foul odour. While trigger
species continue to use the area, numbers
have decreased and they have shifted
However, if you are aware that the industry
has begun modernizing and increasing
capacity of their effluent treatment
systems, you may choose to report as
moderate risk. Even though further
discharges are unexpected, trigger
populations will be negatively influenced
for subsequent years based on the above
accidental discharges and damage reported.
3. Threat: ‘Pollution’ (IUCN) – ‘domestic and
urban waste water’ (BLI)
An IBA includes a freshwater lake that
trigger species depend upon for
food/survival. The lake supports numerous
older cottages (25+ years) and recreational
use has increased considerably in the past
ten years. Trigger species have somewhat
declined from historic reports, but have
stabilized in number. Report as low risk.
If trigger species populations are fewer, but
numbers are stable, while other species
such as loons and herons and a frog species
at risk no longer breed or use the area, you
could report as a medium risk.
In addition to increased recreation,
discharges from the older (faulty or nonexistent) septic systems are thought to be
the primary cause of the lake turning green
with algae (eutrophication) and some fish
dying. The numbers and diversity of birds
(and fish) using the lake and area have
noticeably declined within this time. The
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IBA was originally a global designation, but
current bird numbers would result in a
national designation. There is no indication
that regulatory bodies are taking action to
stop the (unlawful) sewage discharges. For
example, government officials were
questioned and indicated they have not
taken action or laid charges with respect to
discharges. This could be reported as high
risk.
4. Threat: ‘Residential and Commercial
Development’ (IUCN) – ‘housing and urban
areas’ (BLI)
Approval to construct a small-scale
residential development was granted that
will marginally encroach into an IBA. It is
likely to influence the distribution and
abundance of trigger species. Report as low
risk.
the past decade, the risk could be cited as
high. Only use this category where there is
strong evidence (published or other reliable
research) that climate change has resulted
in declining numbers of trigger species
within an IBA. Bird Studies Canada (BSC)
may investigate vulnerabilities to birds from
climate change and will assess which birds
and IBAs may be more at risk. For example,
birds dependent on marine resources and
that breed on low-lying coastal islands are
vulnerable, and species with breeding
ranges restricted to high elevation habitats,
are also vulnerable (The State of the Birds
2010 Report on Climate Change;
http://www.stateofthebirds.org/pdf_files/S
tate of the Birds_FINAL.pdf).
6. Threat: ‘Human intrusions and
disturbance’ (IUCN) – ‘recreational
activities’ (BLI)
In addition to the small-scale residential
development, a supportive commercial
zone has been given approval within the
IBA too. Construction of supporting
transportation routes, power supply lines,
and water services for these developments
will fragment critical habitat. Considerable
changes to the abundance and distribution
of trigger species are anticipated, but
unknown. Report as medium risk. While
this may be perceived as high risk, the
effects are unknown at present and some
planning concessions had been made to
protect native wildlife and local habitats.
If trails and facilities were constructed that
led to marginal habitat fragmentation, and
use of off-road vehicles are creating
disturbances which led to changes in trigger
species’ distributional patterns and a slight
decrease in their numbers, cite as low risk.
Where there has been a considerable
increase in boating traffic and recreational
use of islands and coastal areas that can
directly be correlated with changes in
breeding distributional patterns and linked
to considerable population declines and/or
loss of a trigger species using areas (that
historically were consistently utilized for
foraging for example), then recreational
activities could be cited as a high risk threat.
Moderate risk could be cited where
population declines are less severe.
If the development were larger scale and
would result in considerable loss of habitat,
report as high risk.
5. Threat: ‘Climate change and severe
weather’ (IUCN) – ‘habitat shifting and
alteration’ (BLI)
If an island is used by a threatened species
to breed, but sea levels have risen resulting
in conspicuous habitat loss and increasingly
fewer numbers of breeding individuals over
Another common form of disturbance
arises from off-leash dogs. Off-leash dogs
can cause considerable disruptions in
shorebird use at migratory stop-over sites
and can restrict availability of shorebird
breeding habitat (i.e. Piping Plovers).
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