Southern Blue Ridge


IBA Justification

The site was identified as important in 2008 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:
Species Red List1 Season Year(s) Size IBA criteria
Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera NT breeding - present A1

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2008) may differ.


IBA Protection

Year Protected Area Designation % overlap with IBA
- Cherokee Game Refuge #1 National Game Refuge 1
1934 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 26
1936 Cherokee National Forest <1
1975 Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness <1
1975 Gee Creek Wilderness <1
1975 Cohutta Wilderness <1
1983 Great Smoky Mountains National Park World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) 26
1984 Citico Creek Wilderness 2
1984 Big Frog Wilderness 1
1984 Bald River Gorge Wilderness <1
1986 Sampson Mountain Wilderness 1
1986 Pond Mountain Wilderness 1
1986 Big Laurel Branch Wilderness 1
1986 Little Frog Mountain Wilderness 1
1986 Unaka Mountain Wilderness 1
1986 Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area <1
1996 Birch Branch Fee Private Conservation Land <1
2007 Shady Valley Conservation Area Fee Conservation Area <1


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Southern Blue Ridge (USA). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/southern-blue-ridge-iba-usa on 23/11/2024.