The Maine Bird Atlas Needs You To Watch On the Birds

Are you one of those people who are always looking for the birds around your property?  Perhaps have names for them or have looked them up to see what kind of bird they are?

There may be a project for which you would be perfect as a volunteer.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife have a project called the Maine Bird Atlas which pinpoints, plots and analyzes the birds around Maine.

This project is to run for four years and started in 2018 with plans to go until 2022.  The project is particularly to map where bird species are found throughout Maine and to see the numbers and if they are wintering here in the state

The Maine Bird Atlas actually did a first round of research between 1978 and 1983.  This second round will be compared against the last set of data collected from 40 years ago to see how bird populations are doing as well as get a sense of how Maine environment is overall.

Thousands of volunteers are needed and if you are like me and get really excited about our feathered friends in the trees then you can help by submitting your observations to the Atlas.

Changes since the first round of data from 40 years ago a part of the Maine Atlas Project has already shown a huge growth in the population of wild turkeys and one specie in particular, the Common Murres, hadn't been seen nesting here in Maine for 130 years now has 8 sighted pairs breeding in the state.

No matter your skill level- your eyes and recordings will help the project obtain as much information as they can about the birds around us here in the State of Maine.  You can see how to send observations through the Maine Bird Atlas' quick start guide, which will require you to register as a participant.