Breeding Bird Survey

monitoring the health of our summer species

Many of Our Breeding Birds
Contributed by many NOU members

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