The California Bird Atlas is a statewide community science effort designed to document the distribution, abundance, and breeding status of birds across California’s diverse landscapes.
Covering one of the most ecologically diverse states in the country, the atlas seeks to provide updated information on where birds breed, identify changes in species distributions, and support conservation planning in the face of habitat loss, climate change, and other environmental pressures.
Through standardized surveys conducted by volunteers and professional biologists, the project creates a comprehensive dataset that will help guide future research, habitat management, and bird conservation efforts throughout California.
I joined the California Bird Atlas in January 2026 and have become one of the project’s most active contributors. Through extensive fieldwork across the region, I have surveyed hundreds of atlas blocks, contributing breeding evidence and distribution data for California’s bird populations. To date, I have surveyed 605 regional blocks, submitted 1,826 atlas checklists (including 1,581 complete atlas checklists), and documented 187 species coded for atlas purposes, including 86 confirmed breeding species. My efforts have placed me among the top atlas contributors statewide and in the top two leading contributors in Santa Barbara County. I have focused on thorough coverage, regularly returning to priority areas to gather additional evidence and improve the completeness of the atlas dataset.
