Breeding Bird Survey

monitoring the health of our summer species

Many of Our Breeding Birds
Contributed by many NOU members

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