The third PA Breeding Bird Atlas got underway this year. This undertaking is a partnership between Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and the Pennsylvania Bird Atlas Steering Committee.

“What is a breeding bird atlas?” you might ask. In a recent press release by the PA Game Commission, they give the following description: “The Atlas will provide a snapshot of the population status and distribution of birds in the commonwealth. No other bird surveys are as comprehensive, and for that reason, the results are critical to the establishment of conservation priorities for Pennsylvania birds!”

Most of the actual data collection in the field is performed by volunteers. Winter surveys, in addition to breeding season surveys, will be used. Birders of all skill levels are invited to participate, and the data can be from your backyard, a walk in a park or a trip across the state.

The atlas data entry uses the eBird app by Cornell. There is an app for mobile phones as well as a desktop app. Many birders may already have eBird installed; it is easy to switch to the PA Bird Atlas portal in the eBird app. Go to ebird.org/atlaspa/home and select “Quick Start Guide” from the menu. 

I already had eBird installed on a PC and installed on a phone using my same eBird account info and had no software surprises. Take a little time to read about the atlas, take your phone outside in your backyard and look and listen for a few birds to try it out; above all, have fun!