NEWS

South Dakota GF&P Bird Atlas

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP)

South Dakota's Game, Fish and Parks Department has created a new interactive atlas that helps bird enthusiasts learn about the state's breeding bird population.

The department unveiled its updated, online version of the Breeding Bird Atlas in early August.

Senior wildlife biologist Eileen Dowd Stukel says the tool features the results of a five-year field project about breeding birds found in the state. She says the atlas is a survey method to document as many breeding birds as possible at the highest level possible.

Dowd Stukel says the online atlas is a repeat effort of South Dakota's first Breeding Bird Atlas from two decades ago to see what changes have occurred in the population over time.

Funding came from an annual state wildlife grant.

Kevin Freestone, from Factor 360 primarily worked on the programming for the Species Accounts and Block Surveys, creating and programming the PDF reports that are available and was tasked to program the habitat graphs. He worked closely with BIT's GIS Coordinator, Chris Marsh, and their web designer, Adam Oswald, as well as with GFP's GIS team, Heather Berg and Chelsea Krause, to coordinate the data. 

Take a look at http://gfp.sd.gov/wildlife/management/diversity/breeding-bird-atlasII.aspx