OBBA II – Overview and Data

 

Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas Overview

It has been 25 years since the initiation of fieldwork on the first Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. Fieldwork for Ohio’s second atlas started in Spring 2006 and concluded in December 2011. The ultimate success of Ohio’s second breeding bird atlas depended on the active participation and efforts of birders and outdoor enthusiasts from throughout the state. We very much appreciate their efforts in this large-scale endeavor!

The second breeding bird atlas for Ohio generated extensive information that is essential for the effective conservation and management of birds. By engaging Ohio’s citizens in this cooperative effort OBBA II fostered interaction among bird enthusiasts of all experience levels and heightened public awareness of birds in Ohio.


Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
photo by Aaron Boone

The specific goals of the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II were to:

  • Document the current distribution of breeding birds within all 4,437 atlas blocks in Ohio
  • Assess changes in breeding distributions since the first Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas (1982-1987)
  • Provide new measures of abundance of breeding birds in Ohio
  • Identify important habitats and breeding locations that support high diversity or species of concern
  • Collect distributional and abundance data for species that are difficult to survey, especially nocturnal and wetland birds
  • Collect detailed information on the current status of Ohio’s rare, threatened, and endangered birds
  • Engage birders, outdoor enthusiasts, and conservation groups statewide

 

Regional Coordinators were critical to the success of this project.  More information about our Atlas regions and regional coordinators can be found HERE.

 

Exploring Data

We are currently developing plans for an integrated mapping system that will allow users to explore the Atlas data and summaries. Currently results are only available via the book: The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Ohio.

 

Requesting Data

Observations were submitted from 2006 – 2011 for the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II.  During that time span more than 1 million breeding bird observations of over 200 species were submitted.  The Atlas staff are currently working on analyses and write-up of the results.  As a citizen-science program, we encourage collaboration and continued use of the Atlas data.  At this time we are happy to fulfill data requests.  Please click here to fill out the Data Request Form.

 

We welcome your inquiries concerning the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II. Please contact us to find out more about Ohio’s second atlas project!

Matthew Shumar, Coordinator OBBA II
The Ohio State University
School of Environment & Nat. Resources
210 Kottman Hall,
2021 Coffey Road
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1085
Email: ohiobba2mbs@gmail.com