News

The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State – published!

February 12, 2009
The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State – published!

by Kimberley Corwin

What a time for celebration for New York’s birders! The long-awaited volume, The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State, edited by Kevin J. McGowan and Kimberley Corwin, is published. As copies of the book make their way into the hands of birders across the state, such exuberant words such as these from Angus Wilson have been heard: “This morning the [book] landed on my doorstep with a resounding thump! At 696 pages, it is much heftier and more solidly produced than I was expecting. Clearly, the book is a treasure-trove of information and of considerable interest to all NYS birders.”

And filled with information it is! Six chapters discuss how the project was done and what the major findings are, bird conservation and ornithological study in New York, habitat descriptions, and how short-term and long-term habitat changes have affected our breeding birds. The 244 species accounts provide a detailed look at each species’ history in New York and provide explanations for the recent changes. Each account has a current distribution map alongside a map showing changes since the first Atlas in 1980-85. You will also find in the book a remarkable collection of original artwork – a bonus that provides aesthetic balance to the data, the artwork illustrates the diversity of New York’s landscape as well as the diversity of bird species.

The Atlas revealed that fully half of our 253 breeding bird species experienced significant change in their distribution in the past 20 years. Major patterns of change may come as no surprise; many of the grassland birds showed declines and many of the forest birds showed increases. But the second Atlas revealed the extent to which these changes have occurred, which is new information.

Drawing our concern are the 58 species showing significant decline. Alarming decreases were seen in Henslow’s Sparrow (-80%), Red-headed Woodpecker (-76%), and Common Nighthawk (-71%). Sadly, the long decline of Loggerhead Shrike has culminated in its extirpation as a breeder in the state; only four Possible records, and none after 2001, were reported in the second Atlas. The plight of the Brown Thrasher (-30%) has leapt to prominence in the Atlas, being the only species to decline by an absolute count of more than 1,000 survey blocks.

The increases are uplifting. Bald Eagle increased by 1,171%, Peregrine Falcon by 553%, Canada Goose by 275%, and Wild Turkey by 133%. Other increases came as surprises, in addition to being surprisingly large: Cooper’s Hawk and Hooded Warbler both increased by 146%. Pileated Woodpecker increased by 29%, Wood Duck by 45%, Alder Flycatcher by 48%, Winter Wren by 49%.... there is so much more … but it’s all in the book.

There is yet another useful product of the Atlas field work. There exist not one, but two tremendous databases. Each one contains over 230,000 records that document where and when our birds breed. The query possibilities are endless, really. These records are available to the public and will be a great resource to land managers who strive to protect our resources and our birds. The book is available from Cornell University Press, online retailers, or at your local bookstore.

The Breeding Bird Atlas project and the resulting publication were sponsored by the NYS Ornithological Association, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the NY Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Cornell University Department of Natural Resources, Audubon New York and the Lab of Ornithology.