Kalamazoo Nature Center Releases Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas II
OutdoorHub 02.22.12
The Kalamazoo Nature Center (KNC) is pleased to announce the release of the second Breeding Bird Atlas for the state of Michigan. KNC coordinated the fieldwork and data collection which occurred between 2002 and 2008. More than 800 volunteers contributed to the project by making observations and confirming species throughout Michigan. The Michigan Breeding Birds Atlas (MBBA II) is available online at www.mibirdatlas.org. If you are interested in the birds in your backyard or in detailed background analysis and maps depicting where different species occur, nearly 250 species are covered in this searchable/printable Web publication. The first Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas (MBBA I), also led by KNC and completed in 1988, is also on the site. The MBBA I, a printed publication, published in 1991, has been digitized for viewing and/or download.
Michigan is one of the few states to produce a second breeding bird atlas, the purpose of which is to
- Document the current distribution of Michigan’s breeding birds
- Document changes in distribution since Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas I
- Identify Important Bird Areas of high conservation value
- Provide data to agencies for incorporation into their habitat and conservation plans
- Increase the public’s expertise and involvement in birding
Additional sections on bird conservation issues and updated natural communities maps are on the site.
Natural resource professionals can use the information to assist them in making management decisions and anyone interested in learning more about birds, nature, conservation, and the environment will benefit from the accounts found in the Atlas.
