Birds and are the most accessible form of wildlife for people to witness and observe and crucial to the health of North Carolina’s wild, natural places. Yet, we’ve lost one in four birds since 1970 nationwide, an estimated total of 2.9 billion. Even common species like Dark-eyed Junco (declined by 168 million) and White-throated Sparrows (down by 93 million) have declined significantly. The good news our country has demonstrated that a focused effort backed by support from a broad coalition can result in conservation success.
Graph from 3BillionBirds.org
The first step is having a detailed picture of birds and what they depend on to be healthy in the state. Through our North Carolina Bird Atlas, we can gather essential information about the current and future distribution and abundance of NC’s birds and prevent listing species as endangered or even becoming extinct. To ensure an accurate representation of all bird species, we have selected priority blocks across the state – regions where volunteers will concentrate their efforts. Each block is approximately 10 square miles. The goal is to accurately log all species that occur on that area of land.
Bobolink in Hoke County, NC. © NCWRC Melissa McGaw
What is a Bird Atlas?
A bird atlas is a systematic survey of an entire region (state, county, country, etc.), usually carried out by volunteers. New York, New Zealand, and Ontario will be conducting atlas efforts during the North Carolina effort, so we’re in good company! Atlasing has a long history, and many regions are on their 2nd or 3rd Atlas. You can see a full list here.
How Can I Participate?
Our motto is “People Count. Birds Count.” We are committed to a volunteer team as diverse as our birds. We are listening for diverse voices and birding skills of all levels to carry out this cooperative, large-scale conservation effort.
There are lots of options from recording birds to assisting with regional coordination, to submitting photos or stories for promotional use. We’re encouraging wide participation from the avid to the casual bird lover!