Breeding Bird Atlas

Breeding bird atlases are projects designed to map the distribution of breeding birds within a geographic region. In North America, this region is usually a state or province. Maps for each species that breeds in the region are generated using data collected by volunteer surveyors and conservation organizations and agencies. The maps, along with other information on each species, is compiled in a book at the end of the project. The books are then available for purchase.

The Georgia Breeding Bird Atlas was initiated in 1994 by the Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division. This multi-year statewide project will fill large gaps in our knowledge and understanding of the natural history and distribution of the bird species breeding within the state. This effort will provide a permanent record of the birds in the state at the end of the 20th century and will provide the first complete, detailed picture of breeding bird distribution in the state and provide a sound baseline from which future changes in bird distribution can be measured.

This baseline information will be used by the Department of Natural Resources, other governmental agencies, land use planners, and organizations to assist in the conservation of birds throughout Georgia.

Breeding Bird Atlas Objectives

• Surveying the state of Georgia systematically for evidence of breeding during the appropriate seasons for all bird species using survey techniques that can be duplicated in the future
• Organizing data from breeding observations into a series of maps that show the breeding occurrence and distribution of each species within the state
• Classifying and mapping the breeding evidence for each species using a set of codes based upon observable criteria for territorial, breeding, nesting, and rearing behaviors
• Learning more about the distribution and nesting chronology of Georgia’s breeding bids
• Providing accurate information on the nesting occurrences, habitats, and status of rare bird species so that their conservation needs can be addressed adequately in future land-use decisions
• Identifying unique habitats or assemblages of bird species that may warrant focused conservation efforts and evaluate the relative ability of existing managed areas to maintain biological diversity and integrity
• Providing data to serve as a baseline against which future changes in the status of breeding birds in Georgia can be measured
• Introducing Georgia’s birders to a new and exciting way of birding, which at the same time contributes valuable information to the state’s largest-ever ornithological endeavor

To volunteer for Georgia’s Breeding Bird Atlas, please call (478)994-1438.