The Birds of Berkshire Atlas & Avifauna

About the book

This new book will be a complete avifauna building on the previous Atlas 'The Birds of Berkshire' which was published in 1996 but contained data collected mainly from 1987 to 1989. The Atlas work is taking place at the same time as the national Atlas and with the full co-operation of the British Trust for Ornithology. The surveying to update this information is taking place over four winter and summer seasons from 2007 to 2011. We hope, but cannot promise, to publish the new Atlas within 2 years of the end of surveying.

How it will be achieved

To create this new atlas our volunteers are now:

• Mapping winter and summer presence of all bird species in every 2km square in Berkshire or containing any part of Berkshire
• Mapping breeding status of all bird species in every 2km square
• Plotting the changes since the last Atlas
• Analysing those changes to help bird conservation

What can you do?

You can help with your bird records:

• Let us have your garden bird sightings and evidence of any breeding.
• Gather and submit "roving records" from other parts of the county (or beyond).

You can enter your records on Berksbirds or the Atlas website of the British Trust for Ornithology or you can send them to berksbirdatlas@berksoc.org.uk.

You can help financially:

Sponsorship contributions will help pay for the artwork and maps needed to produce the book. You can help in several ways:

• Sponsor a bird for as little as £20 and get:
  • your name (or company name) in the new book and
  • a 20% discount on the new Berkshire Atlas
  • Make a donation towards the production costs - a donation of over £20 will give you a 20% discount on the cost of the new book

At the end of the project there may be a surplus if sales go well. In these circumstances, the money will be used in a charitable fund for bird conservation in Berkshire.

Recording breeding status of birds

For advice on this please check out our Increasing breeding status page.