Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas

by Troy Corman (Editor)

The Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas is the capstone of the first comprehensive statewide survey of Arizona's breeding birds. More than 700 surveyors, mainly volunteers, reported a total of 376 bird species during the 1993-2000 field seasons. Of those species, 283 were confirmed as breeding and 18 additional species were suspected of potentially nesting in the state during the atlas survey period. This atlas provides a breeding distribution snapshot for each of Arizona's nesting bird species at the end of the twentieth century. Bird populations change constantly due to environmental factors and human activities. The data compiled in this book will serve as a baseline against which to judge future changes. It also provides a wealth of natural history information. Each of the 270 two-page species accounts contains a color photo of the species and a range map summarizing the breeding distribution records collected during the atlas survey period. The accompanying descriptive text and graphs provide nesting habitat information and a timeline chronicling each bird's breeding phenology and migratory status in Arizona. Another 47 species are briefly discussed. Additional chapters describe atlas methods, results, and Arizona ornithological history, as well as topography, climate, and habitat diversity, which ultimately govern bird species distribution in the state. Useful to land managers and biologists, the atlas will also be a resource for birders and educators and will increase public awareness of Arizona's vast avian life.

Hardcover

First published July 1, 2005

Reviews

[Garry Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serving as a rich portrait of conditions at the end of the 20th Century, the Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas is an impressive achievement. The photographs and descriptions are useful, but most valuable is each bird's map of breeding locations throughout the state. Hundreds of volunteers contributed an enormous amount of time to the fieldwork necessary to prepare the maps. Dozens of public and private organizations gave support.

The Atlas' Foreword states that the survey is meant to be repeated every twenty years. Repeated observations are essential to detect trends. For those of us who know little more birds than how much we appreciate them, it will soon be time to offer support for the next survey.