Breeding Bird Survey

monitoring the health of our summer species

Many of Our Breeding Birds
Contributed by many NOU members

Barn Swallow
© Craig Crews
Eastern Screech-Owl
© Karen Kader
American Redstart
© Phil Swanson
Western Meadowlark
© Mark Brogie
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
© Karen Kader
Cerulean Warbler
© Phil Swanson
Great Horned Owl
© Ken Shuster
Mourning Dove
© Patsy McQuade
Bobolink
© Michael Willison
American Avocet
© Justin Rink
Eastern Meadowlark
© Michael Willison
Brown Thrasher
© Michael Willison
Sharp-tailed Grouse
© Phil Swanson
Cedar Waxwing
© Phil Swanson
White-faced Ibis
© Bob Gerten
Carolina Wren
© Kelly Colgan-Azar
Henslow’s Sparrow
© Michael Willison
American Goldfinch
© Patsy McQuade
Western Kingbird
© Michael Willison
Great Blue Heron
© Craig Crews
Western Cattle-Egret
© Deb Miller
Green Heron
© Karen Kader
American Robin
© Patsy McQuade
Eastern Bluebird
© Michael Willison
Red-winged Blackbird
© Karen Kader
Killdeer
© Ken Shuster
Yellow-breasted Chat
© Michael Willison
Canada Goose
© Ken Shuster
Sedge Wren
© Michael Willison
Yellow-throated Vireo
© Phil Swanson
Sora
© Ken Shuster
Virginia Rail
© Joe Gubyani
Red-eyed Vireo
© Craig Crews
Prothonotary Warbler
© John Carlini
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
© Joel Jorgensen
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
© Ken Shuster
Dickcissel
© Phil Swanson
Eared Grebe
© Bob Gerten
American Bittern
© Janis Paseka
Western Meadowlark
© Craig Crews
White-eyed Vireo
© Phil Swanson
Grasshopper Sparrow
© Bob Gerten
Barred Owl
© Craig Crews
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
© Craig Crews
Summer Tanager
© Michael Willison
 
photo by Joel Jorgensen
© Joel Jorgensen
The Breeding Bird Survey began in 1966 and is conducted each June to collect data over time on the health of breeding populations across the United States and Canada.  The 25-mile designated route is run beginning promptly one-half hour before sunrise.  Surveyors stop for three minutes every half mile and record everything seen and heard at that stop.

To be a participant one must be able to identify the birds of the area by sight and especially by song since most of individuals counted will be singing males at this height of the breeding season.

Data collected from observers, including weather conditions as well as species counts, is analyzed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Canadian Wildlife Service, and other biologists such as those working with Partners in Flight.  The data from these surveys is the basis for many avian conservation reports such as the State of the Birds report.
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