Ontario's Breeding Bird Atlas

The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas is a collaborative undertaking of Ontario Nature, Bird Studies Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario Field Ornithologists, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. It is a volunteer-based effort, which uses a rigorous scientific approach, to determine the current distribution and relative abundance of bird species breeding in Ontario.

Year 7: Publication!

The atlas project is now entering its final year. Scheduled for publication in late 2007, The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005, will be the culmination of two years of planning, five years of field work and two years of analysis and book preparation. In the end, dedicated volunteers logged 150,000 hours in the field and submitted 1.2 million individual breeding bird records - a truly remarkable feat!

Atlas milestones:

• More than 3,000 volunteers registered with the project
• 286 species were reported with breeding evidence in the province from 2001-2005
• Breeding records were submitted for more than 4,800 10km squares: covering areas of the province from Hudson Bay to Pelee Island
• Over 68,000 point count surveys (which quantify species abundance) were conducted and will be used to produce the first province-wide maps of the relative abundance of many species.
• Over 18,000 forms were submitted for rare or colonial species

The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario (1981-1985) was published in 1987 based on the data collected during the first atlas project. The book is now out of print, but a digital version has been made available online from the Atlas webpage (www.birdsontario.org/atlas/atlasbook.jsp).

Results of the second atlas have shown changes in the distribution and status for a number of species, including:

• Range declines for several grassland species, such as the endangered loggerhead shrike, Henslow's sparrow and northern bobwhite.
• Range declines for fairly widespread species, such as the red-headed woodpecker and "aerial foragers," including common nighthawk, whip-poor-will, chimney swift, and most swallows.
• Range expansions for numerous species, such as the sandhill crane, house finch and northern mockingbird.

Data is already being widely used as an important resource for scientists and conservationists. Potential applications of the data include recovery plans for species at risk, environmental assessments, and land use planning. Once published in late 2007, the second atlas will be an invaluable reference for both environment and resource managers and birders alike.

We are pleased to announce that the upcoming book is now available for purchase through the Atlas website. It will be 9x12 inches and contain over 700 full colour pages of photographs, maps, and charts for the 300 species breeding in the province. It is available at a presale price of CA$79 (prices include GST, distribution, and handling), but only until March 31, 2007. After this the atlas will sell at the anticipated retail price of CA$98. Profits from the sale of atlases will go towards bird conservation projects in Ontario. Order your copy now!

For more information on the atlas project, to see sample pages from the upcoming publication, or to purchase a copy of the book, see the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas website at www.birdsontario.org or contact the Atlas office by telephone: 1-866-900-7100 or email: atlas@uoguelph.ca.