View map of atlas regions Search this site: Contact us Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas Bird Studies Canada Box 24-200 Saulteaux Cr, Winnipeg, MB R3J 3W3 1-800-214-6497 (204) 945-6816 Manitoba Atlas Partners     Manitoba Atlas Sponsors Here are some of our major sponsors:

Welcome to the Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas Birds can tell us a lot about the environment in which we live. Because they are sensitive to environmental stressors and occupy virtually all terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats, knowing where birds are and what habitats they use can help us assess ecosystem health. Close to 300 species of birds breed each year in Manitoba. These include species from the prairie grassland ecosystems, the boreal forest and the coastal tundra of Hudson Bay. We need data on all of these species to understand changes in the centre of the North American continent. The Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas is an ambitious five-year project to engage citizens in documenting the distribution and abundance of all breeding birds throughout the entire province of Manitoba. This important initiative is a collaboration of many partners who share a passion for environmental monitoring. The Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas is run largely by volunteers and we are always looking for people who would like to be involved as citizen scientists or in other capacities. Join the effort! Anyone with a pair of binoculars and bird watching experience, or even a desire to learn about birds, can participate. You don't need to be an expert--we just ask that you are confident in the identification of the birds you report. We are also looking for people with other skills such as editing, graphic design, fundraising and promotional experience. Participants will be asked to register online in the coming months. In the meantime, you can email us at mbatlas@birdscanada.org.   Latest news from the atlas 17 August 2010: Atlas Newsletter Now Available We are extremely happy to announce that the inaugural issue of The Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas Bulletin is now available. This will be a quarterly newsletter that features stories from atlassers throughout the province. Click here to download the newsletter. We hope you enjoy this issue and please get in touch if you have story ideas for the next issue! 01 August 2010: Atlas photos pouring in Many new atlas photos up at on this page, and you can also take a look here for more photos and stories. View archives What is an Atlas Mapping birds is quickly becoming a worldwide phenomenon. It is fun to participate of course, but the results are an invaluable foundation of information for conserving birds and their ecosystems. Not long ago, atlases were books of maps but more recently atlases have on-line versions that are interactive. The Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas will be on-line and we hope to have a book too. To find out more, click here.   Our photographers Thank you to the people who have generously provided photos to make this web site better. Photos for the front page that do not show credit (e.g., banner and mosaique) were provided by Christian Artuso and Garry Budyk. If you are interested in providing photos to use on this site (or if we forgot to include your name), we would love to hear from you!

Birding Stories Atlas data start coming in! Several keen atlassers have already recorded several species breeding in their square for species such as Canada Goose, Mallard, Hooded Merganser, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Great Horned Owl, Eastern Screech-Owl, American Woodcock, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch and others. Take a look at here to look at some of their accounts. Photo: Garry Budyk. Data collection for the Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas begins in 2010. We hope to get the project off to a flying start by finding nests of the few species that breed in Manitoba in winter. Yes, even when it is below -300C, some hardy Manitoba birds are hard at work raising a family. Great Horned Owls have been recorded laying eggs as early as January 15th in Winnipeg (and with no leaves on the trees their presence on stick nests is fairly obvious), Gray Jays begin breeding in late February, and crossbills can breed any time of year when cone crops are suitable   Golden-winged Warbler are now considered as threatened in Canada. Find out more about the Manitoba Golden-winged Warbler Survey. Endorsements …an important initiative that will provide much needed data on bird distribution and abundance in the central North American continent, in particular the central boreal forest and the north-eastern part of the central prairie region. — Dr. Stuart Butchart of Birdlife International The great thing about a bird atlas project, especially the way Manitoba is doing it, is that it gives everyone a chance to get involved and help monitor the health of natural areas. Even beginning birders can help by identifying the species they know well enough. If you care about the birds, I encourage you to do your part. The more of us we have out on the land counting birds, the more of us there will be to defend the wild places they need to survive. — Trevor Herriot, author of Grass, Sky, Song: Promise and Peril in the World of Grassland Birds.