Virginia is unique in that it is considered the birthplace of ornithology in this country. It has become the incomparable benefactor for the most extensive collection of archives that describe avifaunal change. Much of the ornithological information collected during the modern era exists in the form of scientific and popular publications, field diaries of noted ornithologists, museum collections, and unpublished databases. Colle...
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Virginia is unique in that it is considered the birthplace of ornithology in this country. It has become the incomparable benefactor for the most extensive collection of archives that describe avifaunal change. Much of the ornithological information collected during the modern era exists in the form of scientific and popular publications, field diaries of noted ornithologists, museum collections, and unpublished databases. Collectively, these accounts chronicle the recent history of range expansions, population fluctuations, and changes in distribution for a wide range of bird species. Most importantly, this information serves as a valuable tool for conservation because it provides historical benchmarks to the spatial and temporal patterns of declines for Virginia’s imperiled species. Despite the relative importance of this rich ornithological history, there has never been a comprehensive aggregation of these various archives. The objectives of this project are to assemble the historical and contemporary accounts of Virginia’s avifauna into a geographically referenced database and to provide a historical account of avifaunal change that can be applied for conservation purposes. This project is ongoing.
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