About the Breeding Bird Atlas

It has been more than 20 years since the initiation of fieldwork on the first Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. We are excited to announce that fieldwork for Ohio's second atlas started in Spring 2006. The ultimate success of Ohio's next breeding bird atlas depends on the active participation and efforts of birders and outdoor enthusiasts from throughout the state. We look forward to working with you in this exciting endeavor!

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)

by Aaron Boone

Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II

The next breeding bird atlas for Ohio will generate immense amounts of new and important information that will be essential for the effective conservation and management of birds in Ohio. By engaging Ohio's citizens in this cooperative effort OBBA II will foster interaction among bird enthusiasts of all experience levels and will heighten public awareness of birds in Ohio.

The specific goals of Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II are to :

• Document the current distribution of breeding birds in Ohio by surveying all 4,437 atlas blocks in the state
• 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, such as owls, nightjars, and various wetland birds
• Collect new and more detailed information on the status of Ohio's rare, threatened, and endangered birds
• Engage hundreds of birders and outdoor enthusiasts and partner with birding and bird conservation groups statewide

We need your help and we welcome your inquiries concerning the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II. Please contact us and find out how you can help make Ohio's second atlas project a great success!!