From 1 April, more than 30,000 birdwatchers across Ireland and Britain will be out recording the distribution of birds for the first breeding season of Bird Atlas 2007-11.

Following a very successful first winter of fieldwork for Bird Atlas 2007-11, thousands of birdwatchers will have binoculars at the ready and ears cocked, as they tour the same squares again, this time to take lists and make detailed counts of birds in the breeding season between 1 April – and 31 July.

Little Egrets and Buzzards
There will be exciting changes in distribution for many species since the last Breeding Atlas of 1988-91. There will be new breeding species such as the Little Egret to record, and range expansion for the Buzzard to document. On the downside, it will be interesting to look at the range of declining species like Kestrel and Cuckoo and to look for the remaining hot-spots for red-listed species such as Corncrakes and Barn Owls.

Brian Caffrey, Irish Atlas Coordinator commented, ‘We have been delighted by the coverage achieved in the first winter, however full coverage of the country is going to be a huge challenge and we need many more volunteers to take part .’

‘The results of this Atlas will play a major part in setting the priorities for bird conservation in Ireland for the next two decades. With so many changes taking place across the country, such as our changing climate, increased development pressure and evolving agricultural sector, it is essential that we monitor how our birds are faring. This is why the Atlas is so important and why we need your help to put the dots on the maps to answer these questions.’

 

To take part
	To take part in Bird Atlas visit the website www.birdatlas.net and follow links to ‘Taking Part’.

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