Printer-friendlyNew York State Breeding Bird Atlas
BBA Data - See species lists and distribution maps from the 1st Atlas (1980-1985) and 2nd Atlas (2000-2005).
BBA Survey Blocks - Use the interactive mapping page to locate and print a map of an Atlas block. The block maps are derived from USGS topographic quadrangles and are available for printing in PDF format. Legends for these maps can be found at the USGS website.
Breeding Bird Atlas Publication is in the works!
The Atlas Steering Committee proudly announces that all fieldwork and data entry have been completed as planned! More than 1,200 birders from New York and other states as far away as Colorado participated in the Atlas project between 2000 and 2005. They have contributed data in 5,332 blocks and we now have distribution maps for 250 breeding species. Please visit the BBA Data page to see maps and species lists.
The Steering Committee is moving ahead to publish the results of the project. Co-editors Kevin McGowan and Kimberley Corwin are working to create informative distribution maps, analyze changes between the first and current atlas data sets, and produce a dazzling and informative atlas publication, which is scheduled to be available in 2008.
What is the Breeding Bird Atlas Project?
The Breeding Bird Atlas is a comprehensive, statewide survey that will reveal the current distribution of breeding birds in New York. The Atlas 2000 Project began in January 2000. Fieldwork was completed in 2005 and work on the publication is now underway.
The 1988 publication, "The Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State" edited by Robert F. Andrle and Janet R. Carroll, was the result of the first Breeding Bird Atlas Project in New York, conducted from 1980 to 1985. The current Atlas is the second generation of Breeding Bird Atlases in New York. We are repeating the effort to see what changes may have occurred in the twenty years since field work on the first Atlas began. The survey methods, survey blocks, and breeding codes are the same for Atlas 2000 as they were in the first Atlas project.
The New York State Ornithological Association and the Department of Environmental Conservation are again sponsoring this project in cooperation with New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell University, Cornell University Department of Natural Resources, and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. The current Atlas project will result in a publication similar to the first Atlas. This new Atlas of Breeding Birds will include a set of maps that illustrate the breeding distribution of the 250 bird species that breed in New York, providing biologists and land managers with the information they need to make sound decisions on land use and conservation.
How was the survey conducted?
The state was divided into ten regions, based upon the "Kingbird" reporting regions for the New York State Ornithological Association. One or two Regional Coordinators were responsible for seeing that all of the blocks in their region were surveyed. Each survey block measures 5 x 5 km (3 x 3 mi); there are 5,333 blocks in the entire state. Atlasers visited various habitats within their assigned block(s) and recorded evidence of breeding for the birds they see, using defined Breeding Codes.
Special thanks:
To the 1,200 volunteers whose hard work has made the Breeding Bird Atlas a success!
Resources:
Breeding Codes - Read the complete description of each breeding code used in data collection.
Handbook for Workers (PDF, 145kb, 40 pages) - Detailed instructions on how to survey an Atlas block.
Breeding Season Table (PDF, 31kb, 10 pages) - Nesting dates, adapted from the first Atlas.
Hints on Haunts (PDF, 27kb, 9 pages) - Additional surveying tips.
Newsletters - See current and past issues of the Atlas Newsletter.
The New York State Breeding Bird Atlas is a cooperative project of the following organizations:
New York State Ornithological Association
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell University
Cornell University Department of Natural Resources
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Funding was provided by:
New York State Ornithological Association
New York Cooperative Fish and Widlife Research Unit
For more information, contact:
Breeding Bird Atlas Project
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-4754
More about New York State Breeding Bird Atlas:
- Bird Atlas Breeding Codes - The New York State Breeding Bird Atlas uses three categories to record breeding behavior: Possible (PO), Probable (PR), and Confirmed (CO).
- Bird Atlas Newsletter Archives - Newsletters form New York State's first and second Breeding Bird Atlas Projects.
