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From the Publisher:
Both an indispensable scientific work and a beautiful collection of art, The Second
Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State documents and illustrates the current
distribution of breeding birds within the state and the significant change in bird
distribution that has occurred since the publication of The Atlas of Breeding Birds in
New York State, edited by Robert F. Andrle and Janet R. Carroll, in 1988. Each species
account features a black-and-white illustration of the bird, color maps of the current
(2000-2005) breeding distribution and of the twenty-year change in distribution, and an
overview of the species' breeding range, habitat preferences, history in the state,
trends in distribution, and conservation implications. The book not only chronicles
shifts in bird distribution but also celebrates the 244 species that breed within the
state's borders by showcasing majestic landscape paintings of family groups and original
artwork of each species.
Long-term changes in the distribution of bird populations can be driven by habitat
alteration caused by development, deforestation, and climate change, but significant
change also occurs in the short term. Based on comprehensive, statewide research efforts
conducted from 2000 to 2005, this landmark volume shows the surprising amount of change
in the distribution of breeding birds in New York that has taken place in the last
twenty years: a few species no longer breed in the state (e.g., Loggerhead Shrike), a
few breeding species were gained (e.g., Merlin and Black Vulture), and over half of the
species changed their distribution in the state, some dramatically. The consistency of
survey methods in the two atlas efforts, including census of the same 5,333 survey
blocks, allows for statistically significant comparisons.
In all, 1,187 volunteers spent 140,000 hours in the field, making this a substantive
work of citizen science with broad applications for bird research and environmental
management. In addition to the species accounts, there are chapters on methodology,
results, habitats, land use, history of New York birding and ornithology, conservation,
and appendixes of rare breeders as well as an updated table of the seasonal timing of
breeding that completes this monumental work. The documented changes in bird
distributions and land use in this stunning celebration of New York's birds will be of
critical interest to both birders and conservationists.
Published in association with the New York State Ornithological Association and the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in cooperation with the New York
Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell University, Cornell University
Department of Natural Resources, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Audubon New York.
REVIEWS:
"The beautiful Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State reveals
striking changes in the distribution and density of the state's birds over the two
decades since the state's pioneering first atlas. As the first-ever resurveyed state
bird atlas, this monumental work demonstrates the power of volunteer citizen scientists
to track the accelerating and significant changes in the natural world around us." - Frank
Gill
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
KEVIN J. MCGOWAN is an ornithologist and editor at the Cornell
Lab of Ornithology and the Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University.
KIMBERLEY CORWIN is a wildlife biologist at the Department of Natural Resources, Cornell
University, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
DETAILS:
688 pages, 8 1/2 x 11, Full color throughout: 25 paintings, 245 halftones, 258
tables, 164 charts/graphs, 512 maps
Contact us to order this item.
Ordering information
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