Breeding Bird Survey

monitoring the health of our summer species

Many of Our Breeding Birds
Contributed by many NOU members

Canada Goose
© Ken Shuster
Summer Tanager
© Michael Willison
Eastern Meadowlark
© Michael Willison
American Goldfinch
© Patsy McQuade
Red-winged Blackbird
© Karen Kader
White-eyed Vireo
© Phil Swanson
Barred Owl
© Craig Crews
Great Blue Heron
© Craig Crews
Western Meadowlark
© Craig Crews
Great Horned Owl
© Ken Shuster
Eastern Bluebird
© Michael Willison
Sora
© Ken Shuster
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
© Karen Kader
Yellow-throated Vireo
© Phil Swanson
Mourning Dove
© Patsy McQuade
Brown Thrasher
© Michael Willison
Prothonotary Warbler
© John Carlini
American Robin
© Patsy McQuade
Dickcissel
© Phil Swanson
Grasshopper Sparrow
© Bob Gerten
Sharp-tailed Grouse
© Phil Swanson
American Redstart
© Phil Swanson
Eared Grebe
© Bob Gerten
Yellow-breasted Chat
© Michael Willison
Carolina Wren
© Kelly Colgan-Azar
American Bittern
© Janis Paseka
White-faced Ibis
© Bob Gerten
Cedar Waxwing
© Phil Swanson
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
© Joel Jorgensen
Barn Swallow
© Craig Crews
Sedge Wren
© Michael Willison
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
© Ken Shuster
Henslow’s Sparrow
© Michael Willison
Cerulean Warbler
© Phil Swanson
Eastern Screech-Owl
© Karen Kader
Green Heron
© Karen Kader
Killdeer
© Ken Shuster
American Avocet
© Justin Rink
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
© Craig Crews
Western Meadowlark
© Mark Brogie
Red-eyed Vireo
© Craig Crews
Virginia Rail
© Joe Gubyani
Western Cattle-Egret
© Deb Miller
Western Kingbird
© Michael Willison
Bobolink
© 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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