Breeding Bird Atlas Documentation

Breeding Bird Atlas

This information was taken from the DEC Master Habitat Databank GIS server. The data for northern NY was downloaded and clipped to the 10-mile buffer around the Adirondack Park.

Geographic Data Set:	Breeding Bird Atlas
Distribution Constraints:	Contact the Habitat Inventory Unit of the Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources.
Description:	The ARC/INFO coverage contains New York State Breeding Bird Atlas blocks and block numbers. Atlas data are stored in two DBF files, BBA and SPECNAME. The ArcView extension bba.avx can be used to access these data.
Available:	Statewide
Type of Data:	Shapefile and related DBF files.
Completion or Most Recent Revision Date:	April 1998.
Source of Information:	Data for the Breeding Bird Atlas were collected from 1980 through 1985. During this time period, numerous volunteers conducted on-site surveys within almost every one of the 5,335 breeding bird atlas blocks in New York State. Bird occurrence, status, and other associated data were supplied as DBF files by John Ozard, NYS DEC. The coverage BBABLOCK contains the survey blocks, and was created from an ASCII file of block coordinates and numbers supplied by John Ozard.
Projection and Map Units:	NYTM in meters, NAD83 horizontal datum.

Usage Notes:
Attribute Tables:	Items (or Fields) in the Polygon Attribute Table Items (or Fields) in the DBF table BBA (this is the main data file with a record for each species occurrence in each block) Items (or Fields) in the DBF table SPECNAME (this table contains species information for each bird species in the atlas. The BBA table is related to this table by the SPECIES item)
Contact:	Habitat Inventory Unit, Division of Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources
Documentation Date:

The Breeding Bird Atlas does not provide a definitive statement concerning the absence of a breeding record for a species not listed in a block. The Atlas gives only a listing of species known to be breeding or suspected of breeding in each block at the time of the survey.
For each species, the highest level of confirmation of breeding recorded during the survey was retained in this listing. For example, a record of probable nesting "T2" (bird holding territory) in 1983 would be retained over a possible nesting "X1" (species observed in possible nesting habitat) in 1984 and over a probable nesting "P2" (pair observed in suitable nesting habitat) in 1985 since "T2" is the highest level of breeding evidence in this example.
Copies of the published book "The Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State", Robert F. Andrle, and Janet R. Carroll, Editors, may be purchased directly from Cornell University Press. Call toll free 1-800-666-2211 to order.
The extension bba.avx provides an easy way to access and analyze the Breeding Bird Atlas data. For more information, see the extension documentation ("Breeding Bird Atlas Extension for ArcView 3.0/3.1, User Information and Technical Description")

Attribute Tables

Items (or Fields) in the Polygon Attribute Table

BLOCK:	The alphanumeric Breeding Bird Atlas block numbers.

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Items (or Fields) in the DBF table BBA (this is the main data file with a record for each species occurrence in each block)

CLUBREG:

Federation of New York State Bird Clubs region.

BLOCK:

The alphanumeric Breeding Bird Atlas block number.

YEAR:

Year that highest breeding status was recorded.

SPECIES:

Four character bird banding code for species name.

BREEDCLASS:

Two-character alpha-numeric breeding status code.
Values include:

Possible Breeding:
X1:	Species observed in possible nesting habitat but no other indication of breeding noted, or singing male(s) present (or breeding calls heard), in breeding season (based upon one visit).
Probable Breeding:

P2:

Pair observed in suitable habitat in breeding season.

S2:

Singing male present (or breeding calls heard) on more than one date in the same place.

T2:

Bird (or pair) apparently holding territory.

D2:

Courtship and display, agitated behavior or anxiety calls from adults suggesting probable presence nearby of a nest or young; well-developed brood-patch or cloacal protuberance on trapped adult. Includes copulation.

N2:

Visiting probable nest site. Nest building by wrens and woodpeckers.

B2:

Nest building or excavation of a nest hole.

Confirmed Breeding:

DD:

Distraction display or injury-feigning.

UN:

Used nest found.

FE:

Female with egg in the oviduct.

FL:

Recently fledged young (including downy young of precocial species: waterfowl, shorebirds).

ON:

Adult(s) entering or leaving nest site in circumstances indicating occupied nest.

FS:

Adult carrying fecal sac.

FY:

Adult(s) with food for young.

NE:

Identifiable nest and eggs, bird setting on nest or eggs, identifiable eggshells found beneath nest, or identifiable dead nestling(s).

NY:

Nest with young.

BREEDCODE:	Two-digit numeric version of BREEDCLASS.
CODE (redefined item):	The first digit of BREEDCODE.

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Items (or Fields) in the DBF table SPECNAME (this table contains species information for each bird species in the atlas. The BBA table is related to this table by the SPECIES item)

SPECIES:	Four character bird banding code for species name.
NUMBERAOU:	Current AOU number.
AOUCODE:	Used to sort in AOU order.
COMMNAME:	Common species name.
SCIENAME:	Scientific species name.
PROTECTFED:	Federal legal status as of January 1994.
PROTECTNY:	New York State legal status as of January 1994.
GRANK:	New York Natural Heritage program global rank as of January 1994.
SRANK:	New York Natural Heritage program state rank as of January 1994.
PROTECTNYN:	Proposed revised New York State legal status.
INVSTAT:	Heritage tracking status.

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