Welcome to the Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas!
This ambitious five-year project teams citizen scientists with professionals to deliver a province-wide account of the distribution and relative abundance of populations of breeding birds. A collaborative effort between conservation organizations, government, the private-sector, and the public, the Atlas will provide an invaluable tool for wildlife conservation, education, and research in the province.
What is a Breeding Bird Atlas?
A Breeding Bird Atlas is a project that results in mapping the distribution and relative abundance of breeding birds over a large geographic area such as a province, state, or country. Atlases follow a standardized methodology designed to be repeated at 20-year intervals which allows changes in bird populations to be tracked over time. Saskatchewan’s Breeding Bird Atlas will be an open access comprehensive digital account of the status of breeding birds in the province. The Saskatchewan Atlas will provide an invaluable resource to industry users, governments, conservation organizations, academic institutions, and the general public for purposes spanning the spectrum from conservation planning and environmental assessments, to environmental education and research projects.
What can birds tell us?
Birds are good indicators of environmental health because they are conspicuous, they occur in all ecoregions and habitats, and they respond quickly to environmental stressors and habitat change.
Who can participate?
While anyone with a pair of binoculars and bird watching experience, or even a desire to learn about birds, can participate, it does help to have some experience and familiarity with how to identify birds. You don’t need to be an expert-we just ask that you are confident in the identification of the birds that you report.