Please note: Field work for Wayne County is now complete. 

General Instructions for Participants
(This is not intended to provide comprehensive instructions.  Please refer to the Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas Participant Handbook, available from Michigan Atlas headquarters at the Kalamazoo Nature Center: 616-381-1574.).

Your goal is to verify the highest level of breeding evidence for every species in your block.  Levels are possible, probable, and confirmed.  You do no need to actually find a nest to confirm breeding in your block – other evidence such as nest building, adults carrying food, etc. qualifies as “confirmed.”    A full list breeding criteria codes for each level are found on all checklists and casual observation forms. 

On your initial trips to sites in your block, note in particular where male birds are singing and locations of interesting cavities.  Be aware of late migrants.  In subsequent visits, see if males are still singing in the same places (counts as probable) or if the cavities are occupied (confirmed).  If you see or hear a bird, observe quietly.  Is there a second bird of the same species nearby?  Is there any courtship behavior?  Is it carrying nesting material or food?  Is it caring for young?  Patience is usually rewarded!

You may find it convenient to use a trip report form.  This allows you to make notes on numbers, locations, etc.  Data for each block should be kept on a separate official Michigan breeding bird atlas checklist.  USE PENCIL!  After each trip you make, you will transfer your data to the checklist.  Since the goal is to record highest level of breeding evidence for every species, you will be revising your checklist often.  Keep this master checklist safe: this is what you will submit at the end of the nesting season.  You may wish to keep a copy for yourself as well.   If you are outside your block, you can record observations on a casual observation form, in the same manner.

Submitting a final checklist only reveals whether or not a species may have nested in the block, but does not provide much additional information. For instance, you may confirm Cliff Swallow nesting in your block.  The checklist does not provide information on exact location, number of nests, dates occupied, nest success, etc.  The trip report form comes in handy here – this data can be kept on a series of trip reports as you visit your block.   This will be important because certain species on the official checklist require additional documentation.  All of these species, plus additional species noted on the Wayne Co. checklist provided as well as any unlisted species require additional information for Wayne Co. only.  requesting additional information.  A major goal of this Atlas project is to look at changes in breeding populations since the last Atlas, which took place 20 years ago.  Further, the Wayne Co. coordinator, Julie Craves, has been working on a project comparing breeding bird populations in Wayne Co. since  1915.  By providing information on these selected species, you will be contributing data critical to habitat conservation and the understanding of long-term population trends in county birds. This data is essential to the success of this project!

Submit your data to  the county coordinator, Julie Craves, Rouge River Bird Observatory, Environmental Interpretive Center, University of Michigan-Dearborn,  Dearborn, MI 48128.  Data should be submitted on or before September 1 each year.  Once the observations are proofed and databased, materials will be forwarded to Michigan Atlas headquarters. 

Feel free to contact Julie Craves with any additional questions at 313-583-6373 or jac@rrbo.org

Thanks for your participation!!