By Erin Cashion

The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Ohio is now available in print! I contributed to or helped manage many aspects of this project for two years prior to my position as a Curator of Natural History for the Ohio History Connection. This included: data collection and entry, data management, web content, graphics, species sponsorship, photo submissions, bibliography, and of course writing and editing.

A Breeding Bird Atlas is a standardized survey effort to document the status and distribution of all the species of birds that breed in a given area. For most atlases, the survey uses a grid system based on 7.5-minute USGS topographic maps divided into 10.5 square mile blocks. 44 U.S. states and 6 Canadian provinces have engaged in at least one breeding bird atlas, and the second is underway or completed in many of those.

This book is a follow-up to the Peterjohn and Rice Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas published in 1991. The specific goals of the Second Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas were to:

• Document the current distribution of breeding birds within all 4,437 atlas blocks in Ohio
• Assess changes in breeding distributions since the first Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas (1982-1987)
• Provide new measures of abundance of breeding birds in Ohio
• Identify important habitats and breeding locations that support high diversity or species of concern
• Collect distributional and abundance data for species that are difficult to survey, especially nocturnal and wetland birds
• Collect detailed information on the current status of Ohio’s rare, threatened, and endangered birds
• Engage birders, outdoor enthusiasts, and conservation groups statewide

Over 1 million individual records collected by over 900 dedicated birdwatchers and staff during the 2006-2011 seasons, amounting to thousands of hours of survey effort, formed the backbone of this endeavor. Two years were needed to compile, analyze, and map that data, and two additional years were devoted to book content and layout. Dozens of professional and amateur photographers from all over the state contributed photos to the book, and hundreds of people participated in our Species Sponsorship Program to help fund the project and lower the cost of the book. We are delighted with the final product!

Limited quantities of the Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Ohio are now available at the Ohio History Center in our History Store. The Atlas can also be ordered directly through the publisher, Penn State Press, at a 30% discount for a limited time with the discount code OH16. It is also available on Amazon.