Participate in the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS)
Spring is just around the corner, and before you know it, birds will be establishing home territories. And that means it's time for the annual campaign to fill vacant Breeding Bird Survey routes. If you enjoy counting and reporting on birds for conservation, read on!
Since 1965, volunteers have contributed to one of the most widely used bird monitoring datasets in North America, the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). The Midwest Coordinated Bird Monitoring Partnership is campaigning to fill all vacant BBS routes in the Great Lakes region.
Requirements for participation
To accomplish this goal please consider adopting a vacant route near you, adding a route if you already run one, and getting the word out to your birding friends. As of March 5, 2018, there are a total of 82 vacant routes in our region! To see if there is a vacant route near you, check out this handy mapping tool on the BBS website: https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/RouteMap/Map.cfm
Contact your state BBS coordinator today:
Illinois: 8 Vacant Routes
(contact Mike Ward; email: mpward@illinois.edu; phone: 217-244-4089)
Indiana: 7 Vacant Routes
(contact Amy Kearns; email: akearns@dnr.in.gov phone: 812-849-4586)
Iowa: 9 Vacant Routes
(contact Doug Harr; email: dharr@netins.net; phone: 515-275-4818)
Michigan: 14 Vacant Routes
(contact Katie Koch; email: katie_koch@fws.gov; phone: 906-226-1249)
Minnesota: 15 Vacant Routes
(contact Bob Janssen; email: rbjanssen@aol.com; phone: 612-865-3802)
Missouri: 7 Vacant Routes
(contact Janet Haslerig; email: janet.haslerig@mdc.mo.gov; phone: 573-522-4115 x3198)
Ohio: 19 Vacant Routes
(contact Nathan Stricker; email: Nathan.Stricker@dnr.state.oh.us; phone: 740-362-2410 ext. 122)
Wisconsin: 3 Vacant Routes
(contact Mark Korducki ; email: Korducki@earthlink.net; phone: 262-784-2712)
Since 1965, volunteers have contributed to one of the most widely used bird monitoring datasets in North America, the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). The Midwest Coordinated Bird Monitoring Partnership is campaigning to fill all vacant BBS routes in the Great Lakes region.
Requirements for participation
- Access to suitable transportation to complete a survey.
- Good hearing and eyesight.
- The ability to identify all breeding birds in the area by sight and sound. Knowledge of bird songs is extremely important, because most birds counted on these surveys are singing males.
- New BBS participants must also successfully complete the BBS Methodology Training Program before their data will be used in any BBS analyses. The training program is available from the national BBS offices and the state, provincial, and territorial coordinators.
To accomplish this goal please consider adopting a vacant route near you, adding a route if you already run one, and getting the word out to your birding friends. As of March 5, 2018, there are a total of 82 vacant routes in our region! To see if there is a vacant route near you, check out this handy mapping tool on the BBS website: https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/RouteMap/Map.cfm
Contact your state BBS coordinator today:
Illinois: 8 Vacant Routes
(contact Mike Ward; email: mpward@illinois.edu; phone: 217-244-4089)
Indiana: 7 Vacant Routes
(contact Amy Kearns; email: akearns@dnr.in.gov phone: 812-849-4586)
Iowa: 9 Vacant Routes
(contact Doug Harr; email: dharr@netins.net; phone: 515-275-4818)
Michigan: 14 Vacant Routes
(contact Katie Koch; email: katie_koch@fws.gov; phone: 906-226-1249)
Minnesota: 15 Vacant Routes
(contact Bob Janssen; email: rbjanssen@aol.com; phone: 612-865-3802)
Missouri: 7 Vacant Routes
(contact Janet Haslerig; email: janet.haslerig@mdc.mo.gov; phone: 573-522-4115 x3198)
Ohio: 19 Vacant Routes
(contact Nathan Stricker; email: Nathan.Stricker@dnr.state.oh.us; phone: 740-362-2410 ext. 122)
Wisconsin: 3 Vacant Routes
(contact Mark Korducki ; email: Korducki@earthlink.net; phone: 262-784-2712)