| Dickcissel | ©David Cahlander |
And Thank You to all our volunteers who made 2009, the first Atlas reporting season, a success.
The Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas is an important bird conservation project that will identify every species that breeds in the state and where in the state they breed. Minnesota is one of only seven states, and the only state along the Mississippi Flyway, that has not developed an atlas.
During the project's five years, from 2009 through 2013, volunteers (we made need more than a thousand!) from throughout Minnesota will report evidence of breeding behavior for all the species they see. Hundreds of Minnesota birders and bird enthusiasts have already submitted more than 23,000 observations from all across the state in just the first season. Preliminary results identified 233 species with confirmed breeding evidence for 188 species. And that is just the beginning; we are planning for an even stronger season in 2010.
Results from the MNBBA will enable us to:
Because the MNBBA is based on the participation of citizen scientists, the project provides opportunities for bird watchers in every corner of the state to contribute to our knowledge of Minnesota birds. In addition to Atlas Surveyors, we welcome all members of the public to be Field Observers and contribute their observations to the project. The scope of the project is huge and we need the help of all bird enthusiasts to make it happen.
MNBBA data are accessible online throughout the project and will be available in a book and online upon completion of the Atlas. Results will be valuable not only for scientists, natural resource managers, educators, and birders, but for everyone interested in Minnesota birds.
The Atlas is an exciting and important project. Join us!
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).