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New Breeding Bird Atlas Published in New York

December 5, 2008
New Breeding Bird Atlas Published in New York

The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State, edited by Kevin J. McGowan and Kimberley Corwin was released in December 2008. Five years of fieldwork by more than 1,200 contributors provided the data for this latest addition to our understanding of New York’s avifauna. This substantial book reveals striking changes in the distributions of many of our breeding birds since New York’s first Breeding Bird Atlas was published in 1988. Over half of our 253 species showed a significant change in their distribution, with 70 species showing increases and 58 species showing declines.

Two-page species accounts for each of 244 species feature a color map that shows the current distribution of the bird in the state and second map that shows the change in distribution since the first atlas. The book is beautifully illustrated with black-and-white species drawings and 25 color paintings that depict New York’s wide diversity of habitats.