Darke County Birders Donate Second Breeding Bird Atlas

Members of the Darke County Birders Club Front Row L to R: Cindy Ploch, Sandy Hoying, and President Regina Schieltz. Back Row L to R: Steve Miller, Helen Barnett, Ann Glidewell, Tina White, Chad Arment, and Bill Wantz

The Darke County Birders Club recently donated a copy of the newly published book The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Ohio to the Darke County Park District. The book documents the distribution and changes in status for over two hundred bird species in Ohio. It is based upon surveys from across the state from 2006 through 2011 with many members of the Birders Club participating.

This second atlas follows the first one published twenty five years ago, and together they paint a picture of the rise and decline of bird species here in Ohio since 1982. The Bald Eagle notably increased in priority blocks, having only five reported during the first count and 120 during the second which makes for a 2300% increase! Sadly the second atlas also reported many notable declines, including the Northern Bobwhite which had 402 reported in priority blocks during the first atlas and only 142 during the second, a 65% decrease.

This second breeding bird atlas will help the Darke County Parks naturalists better understand trends here in Darke County and tailor educational efforts toward conservation of bird species. For more information about Darke County Parks or the Darke County Birders Club, contact the Nature Center at (937) 548-0165 or www.darkecountyparks.org.