North American Breeding Bird survey (In Utah)
The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is a long-term, large-scale, avian monitoring program initiated in 1966. BBS data is used to track population trends and distributions of North American breeding bird species.
Tracy Aviary and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources are working in partnership to coordinate the Utah Breeding Bird Survey. Within Utah there are 99 survey routes monitored annually between mid-May and June by volunteers from all over the state.
Sign up to survey a bbs route
1. Click here to view vacant routes in the state
2. Select route(s) that you are interested in surveying
3. Contact: Cooper Farr (cooperf@tracyaviary.org) to sign up
Russell Norvell can also help with BBS inquiries:
Utah Div. of Wildlife Resources
1594 W. North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-8301
Phone - 801-537-3436, or 801-554-8140
Email - russellnorvell@utah.gov
Utah BBS information and resources
Click here to visit the main USGS webpage with general resources about the North American Breeding Bird Surveys.
Find your route species list here.
Bird identification resources - EXTERNAL LINKS
Here are some external resources that may be useful as you learn how to identify and survey birds:
All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology (online bird guide and other bird ID resources)
Macaulay Library (online library of bird songs and videos)
eBird (a place to upload and explore data from bird surveys collected by other citizen scientists)
Dendroica (you can explore bird pictures and songs, and build quizzes to test yourself)
Merlin ID app (a phone app that you can use to identify and learn about birds)
Xeno-Canto (a collection of bird song)
Utah Birds (a website specifically about birds and birding in Utah)
Larkwire (a game-based system for learning bird songs for purchase)
Thayer (birding software with a field guide and quizzes for purchase)
Project Partners
This project is a collaborative effort between Tracy Aviary and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.