PIERRE – South Dakota’s bird lovers have a new resource just released by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP). The “Second Atlas of Breeding Birds of South Dakota” is a reference about 250-plus species that breed in the state.

The book is the culmination of a project to revisit the state of South Dakota’s breeding birds. Field work started 20 years after the first Atlas began. The book is available for $35 by calling GFP at 605-223-7662.

An atlas is a method of determining the distribution of all breeding bird species and associated habitat needs in a specific area. Many atlases are repeated at 20-year intervals to document how environmental changes have affected birds. The first South Dakota Breeding Bird Atlas included data from 1988-1992, with 219 bird species documented.

The Bird Conservancy of the Rockies coordinated the second Atlas for GFP, with field work from 2008-2012. The project was funded by federal State Wildlife Grant dollars, GFP and the Izaak Walton League. Many bird-watchers volunteered their time and skills to help cover the area needed to collect enough information to make conclusions about changes.

The book describes how the Atlas was conducted and includes general highlights. In addition, readers will find 252 species accounts including life history information, important second Atlas findings, color photos and county results that allow comparisons between the first and second atlases. Atlas results are also available on GFP’s website: https://gfp.sd.gov/breeding-bird-atlas/.