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Photo by Larry Graff
The American kestrel, smallest of the raptors: Recent trends indicate a population decline. Why? |
Meanwhile, northern bobwhite quail, an important game species that has long been a part of Delaware’s hunting tradition, appear to be in serious decline, particularly in the state’s northern reaches, but the cause of their imperiled status has yet to be determined. Yet another bird, the non-native, introduced Eurasian Collared-Dove, was almost unknown from the region 20 years ago. Today, a small population is present in Sussex County and probably will continue its northward expansion. To gain any understanding about trends in Delaware’s bird populations and to examine changes that have occurred over the past 20 years, we need to determine the distribution of all of our breeding bird species.
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Delaware Breeding Bird Atlas History
From 1983 through 1987, over 100 volunteers participated in compiling data for Delaware’s first breeding bird atlas, Delaware’s largest and most comprehensive ornithological project. Led by Rick West, 222 atlas blocks were surveyed and compiled, providing thorough distribution data about our breeding birds...Read more
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To make the breeding bird atlas a success, a corps of volunteers must be relied on to conduct the surveys and collect the data. Volunteer contributions of time, skill, knowledge, and data are the key to, and can ensure, the atlas’s success. Most importantly, every contribution counts! Whether a volunteer contributes many hours atlasing several atlas blocks or reports just a single backyard nest, each contribution helps going forward in creating this atlas. |
