What and When to Atlas

What Birds Should I Atlas?
Your goal is to record all evidence of breeding activity for the birds in your block. There are guidelines for timing (Safe Dates) to minimize the risk of confusing migrant visitors with resident breeding birds.

Very simply put:

• Observation of a bird exhibiting a breeding behavior at any time IS an atlas record.
• Observation of a bird not exhibiting breeding evidence during its safe dates IS an atlas record.
• Observation of a bird not exhibiting breeding evidence outside its safe dates IS NOT an atlas record.

When Should I Atlas?
Knowing a few key things about when to atlas will help ensure that your records are usable for the atlas. Ideally, you should visit your block at different times of the day and at night to compile a complete species list. Visiting your block only within certain hours could lead to big misses. For example, if you only bird from 9 am to 1 pm, you might miss certain wetland species that are visible and call the most near dawn and dusk, or owls which are active in the hours surrounding and throughout the night. Mix up your visits, or encourage other birders to help you bird during other times of the day, and set up times to go owling at night.

Safe Dates
Every bird species has “safe dates” (dates in between the spring and fall migrations). If you observe a bird during its safe dates, you can assume that the bird is engaged in breeding behavior. If you observe a bird at a time outside of its safe dates, you must confirm the behavior for the record to be included in the atlas. Click here for more information on safe dates.

Atlassing Strategies
June and July are the best months for atlassing because most birds are within their safe dates. However, some species, like woodpeckers and certain owls, do not fall within these guidelines. For more detailed information on how to organize your atlassing efforts, see Atlassing Strategies.

Off-Season Atlassing
During the off-season, there aren’t as many species to confirm. This time presents good opportunities for entering data, getting permission to enter private property, or even scouting and looking for used nests. Atlassing in the Doldrums of Winter (28 Kb Microsoft Word file) has a lot of good ideas and tips for winter atlassing.