What is the Maine Bird Atlas?

Bird Atlases have been conducted worldwide with the aim of mapping the distribution, and often abundance, of species over a large geographic area and for a fixed amount of time. They follow a standardized methodology and are intended to be repeated at 20-year intervals. In North America, many states and provinces conducted first generation breeding bird atlases that collected comprehensive distribution information on breeding birds in their defined region. These atlases now serve as a baseline to which subsequent new atlas efforts can be compared. [caption id="attachment_707" align="alignright" width="300"] Mallard on Pond. Photo by Paul Cyr[/caption] Maine conducted its first breeding bird atlas between 1978 and 1983. This first Maine breeding bird atlas used 706 7.5 minute U.S. Geological Survey topo quads as survey Blocks. Over 200 volunteers documented 201 breeding species in Maine and an additional 15 species of uncertain status were documented during the breeding season. With the conclusion of the first atlas 33 years ago and a lack of any state-wide assessment of wintering birds, our comprehensive understanding of bird diversity and distribution in Maine is sorely out-of-date. Field work for the Maine Breeding Bird Atlas will be completed from 2018-2022 and will document the current distribution of breeding birds in Maine. In addition, abundance sampling through standardized point counts will be conducted state-wide during the same atlas timeframe by hired birders that have been screened for identification skills. A similar effort to concurrently document the distribution of wintering birds in Maine is planned to begin in 2018-19. In simple terms, this survey involves recording birds, for now well focus on breeding birds, observed within specific areas (Blocks) and determining whether each species is a confirmed, probable, or possible breeder based on direct observations. For this atlas effort, we have subdivided each 7.5 minute topo quad into six areas or Blocks, resulting in 4,202 sampling Blocks for the state. All records of breeding birds will be identified to the Block level. So, how do we plan to survey breeding birds across the entire state of Maine and in all 4,202 Blocks? Well, were glad you asked, because only with your help will this project be possible!