Breeding Bird Atlas 1

The Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas 1 project was a monumental effort to map the distribution of the breeding birds in the Commonwealth, and was the first of its kind in the United States. Results from this work were published in hardcopy in 2003, and presented detailed distribution maps from the 1974-1979 Breeding Bird Atlas 1 surveys.

In preparation for our new Second Generation Breeding Bird Atlas Project, and to increase the accessibility to this information, we have prepared this online edition of Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas 1. We hope students of bird ecology and environmental conservation, land-use managers and planners, birders and all other wildlife enthusiasts will explore these maps and species accounts, and reflect on the changes we see in our State's bird distribution.

For the online edition we selected a new set of symbols to show the distribution of the state's breeding birds. All blocks were sampled during Atlas 1, and an empty block reveals that the species was not found in that block during the sample period. There is only one species map that renders different data in the online edition—the map for Chestnut-sided Warbler was incorrect in the hardcopy, and is corrected in the online edition.

The species accounts are presented in taxonomic order following the 7th AOU Checklist order. This will be a notable change for those of you familiar with the hardcopy edition, which followed the 6th AOU Checklist order. We anticipate that the official order will continue to change to reflect advances in our understanding of the taxonomic relationship of species, and we will update the order on this site to reflect major taxonomic changes.

While you are reading the species accounts it is important to remember that the data were collected from 1974 through 1979, that the species accounts were written in the 1980s and 1990s, and that the hardcopy edition was published in 2003. The species accounts do reflect notable range and status changes that occurred in the post-data collection period, but in some instances there have even been more changes since the species accounts were written in the 1980s or 1990s.

Another change between the two editions is that we abbreviated some sections in the front matter and back matter. Our goal was to shorten the online text, while retaining the most salient information. We did not edit any of the text in the species accounts, and all the illustrations are the same between the editions. If you have questions, we encourage you to consult the hardcover edition or contact us directly at [email protected].

The hardcopy edition of Breeding Bird Atlas 1 has transparent overlays that can be placed over the distribution maps and correlate to regional elevation, county boundaries, quadrangle names, major drainages, ecoregions and forest types. The online technology does not yet allow us to present the overlays as layers of interactive maps, but we will continue to explore ways to bring that technology to these maps, and to the maps in the Second Generation Atlas.

Enjoy, explore and learn from the maps and species accounts that follow. Atlas 1 represents the work of over 600 volunteers, and presents a vital snapshot of the distribution of birds in Massachusetts in the mid- to late 1970s. Bird populations change quickly, more quickly than many of us thought. For those who doubt that this is true, please read Chan Robbins' Welcome, and, for a quick look at some probably increasing species, connect to the maps, and read the description of Wild Turkey and Red-tailed Hawk. Golden-winged Warbler, Pied-billed Grebe and American Bittern may tell us a different story, but that story will not be revealed until we finish our second Atlas surveys. But it will be this first data set that we use to compare and evaluate changes in bird populations—and for that, we offer our sincere thanks to everyone who designed, worked on, and completed the first Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas.

About the Editors

Wayne R. Petersen is Director of the Massachusetts Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program at Mass Audubon. As senior Field Ornithologist at Mass Audubon for 15 years before assuming his current position, he co-authored Birds of Massachusetts (1993) and co-edited the Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas (2003). A New England Regional Editor for North American Birds magazine and editor of the New England Christmas Bird Count, Wayne's knowledge and broad perspective of the seasonal distribution of New England bird life was recognized in 2005 when he received the American Birding Association's Ludlow Griscom Awardfor outstanding contributions in regional ornithology. He also serves on the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Advisory Committee and leads international birding tours for Mass Audubon and Field Guides, Inc.

W. Roger Meservey received a BA from Bowdoin College in Maine in 1972 and an MS from Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1976. His research interests centered on the behavior of wood-warblers. He currently teaches biology courses at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Massachusetts, and Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts.

About the Artists

John Sill lives in the mountains near Franklin, North Carolina. He has been an illustrator for the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Bird Identification Calendar since its beginning in 1980. His work has appeared in a number of books and magazines including three books he coauthored. John’s work has been exhibited at the Birds in Art Exhibition in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Barry W. Van Dusen resides in central Massachusetts. He has contributed illustrations to a variety of natural history books and pocket guides published by the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Harper Collins, and Princeton University Press. He was elected a full member of London's Society of Wildlife Artists in 1994 and exhibits regularly at the Birds in Art Exhibition in Wausau, Wisconsin, as well as in galleries, museums, and nature centers throughout New England and Europe. More information is available at www.barryvandusen.com.

About the Illustrations

The illustrations by John Sill and Barry W. Van Dusen were painted in transparent watercolor on cold-pressed watercolor paper. The bulk of the species-account illustrations are by John Sill, but the following are by Barry Van Dusen: Mute Swan, King Rail, Least Sandpiper, Short-eared Owl, Acadian Flycatcher, Willow Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Fish Crow, Sedge Wren, Worm-eating Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Rusty Blackbird, and Henslow’s Sparrow.

Additionally, the front cover and title page art, and the small illustrations in the introductory sections, are by Barry W. Van Dusen. John Sill painted the back cover art and the illustrations appearing in the additional species appendix.

About the Publication

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas 1 / edited by Wayne R. Petersen
and W. Roger Meservey; illustrated by John Sill and Barry W. Van Dusen
p. cm. - (Natural history of New England series).
Includes bibliographical references (p. 434).
ISBN 1-55849-420-0 (hard cover)
1. Birds-Massachusetts. 2. Birds-Massachusetts-Geographical
distribution. 3. Birds-Massachusetts-Geographical
distribution-Maps I. Petersen, Wayne R., 1944-II. Meservey,
W. Roger. III. Series.
QL684.M4M37 2003
598'.09744-dc21

2003014390
Petersen, Wayne R., and W. Roger Meservey
Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas 1
Illustrated by John Sill and Barry W. Van Dusen
p. cm. -(Natural History of New England Series)
Includes bibliographical references (p. 434)
ISBN 1-55849-420-0 (hard cover)