Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas

Book excerpt: Birding is the fastest-growing outdoor pursuit in America. This landmark volume, Oklahoma’s first breeding bird atlas, offers both amateurs and ornithologists a wealth of information about Oklahoma bird species and their distributions. Lavishly illustrated with over 200 color photographs and 200 color maps, the Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas is as attractive as it is informative. During the years 1997-2001, more than 100 volunteer birders and professional researchers surveyed nearly 600 locations across all regions of Oklahoma. Their careful records form the basis of the maps in this volume, which show at a glance the breeding distribution of bird species both common and rare in Oklahoma. Detailed species accounts, illustrated with stunning photographs as well as maps, provide information on plumage, habitat, nesting habits, eggs, and the young. An invaluable reference for birders, ornithologists, and natural resource specialists, the atlas will be useful both today and in the future for understanding changes in bird populations over time. The Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas is the result of a cooperative effort between the Oklahoma Biological Survey and the Sutton Avian Research Center.