New York Breeding Bird Atlas Review

At the beginning of the year, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation published the second Atlas of breeding birds in New York State. This 688 page hardcover book features data from the 1980-85 and 2000-2005 breeding bird surveys, as well as species descriptions and beautiful artwork. A Merlin Falco columbarus, is featured in full color on the front cover of the book.

The methods used to collect data are discussed in detail, and before getting into the individual species accounts, there is a discussion of any major trends or changes between the 1980-85 data and the 2000-2005 data. For example, the number of blocks reporting Canada Geese increased by 273% between the two atlases. There were also some newcomers on the scene for the 2000-2005 atlas, including Merlins F. columbarus , and Black vultures, Coragyps atratus.[1] This was interesting to me, as it appears that the Merlins came from the north, and the Black vultures from the south. In other words the new species we see are not necessarily responding to global warming by venturing further north.

The fun part about the book is that there is so much raw data and maps available that the reader can infer many different relationships and come up with their own ideas for future study. Although almost all of the data is available online on the DEC website, the book is worth the $50-$60 to have on your shelf. It makes a great addition to the library of any avid birder or citizen scientist.

[1] McGowan, Kevin J., Corwin, Kimberley, ed. The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2008.