Breeding Bird Survey

The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) monitors the status and trends of North American bird populations. The BBS was initiated in 1966 and is jointly coordinated by the United States Geological Survey and the Canadian Wildlife Service. 

The program was originally developed as a result of concerns over the affects of DDT on birds.  Today the BBS continues to monitor changes in bird populations and identify current threats, such as habitat loss and fragmentation.  There are thousands of BBS routes which are surveyed annually by dedicated volunteers.  Point count methodology is used for completing these breeding season surveys.  Routes are completed by birders as well as biologists, and skilled birders are always being recruited to cover local routes.  KBO completes six BBS routes within the Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion to contribute to this important continental effort.  BBS data are analyzed to yield information about bird populations, including trends, to determine whether species are stable, increasing, or decreasing both at regional and national scales.  This information is conveyed to land managers and conservation scientists to inform decision making.  Here at KBO, we are able to compare population trends from our banding sites with regional BBS trends to tell managers how their site is contributing to regional population health.