Background information

NATURESERVE

Digital Distribution Maps of the Birds of the Western Hemisphere

These maps represent current knowledge of range for all bird species occurring in the Western Hemisphere, based on available sources of distribution data and expert opinion.

Methods

These map images were generated from shapefiles retrieved from NatureServe's website (http://www.natureserve.org/getData/birdMaps.jsp), where they are also freely available to the public (see Acknowledgement below).

Species' range maps were originally digitized by eye or from scanned images of source maps occurring in field guides or species accounts (such as the Birds of North America series), and then reviewed and corrected by the organizations listed in the Acknowledgements. A list of the references is available in the full project metadata document on NatureServe's website: (http://www.natureserve.org/getData/Metadata_Birds_ver_3.0_Oct_07.pdf).

Acknowledgement

Data provided by NatureServe in collaboration with Robert Ridgely, James Zook, The Nature Conservancy - Migratory Bird Program, Conservation International - Center for Applied Biodiversity Science, World Wildlife Fund - US, and Environment Canada - WILDSPACE.

Citation

Ridgely, R. S., T. F. Allnutt, T. Brooks, D. K. McNicol, D. W. Mehlman, B. E. Young, and J. R. Zook. 2007. Digital Distribution Maps of the Birds of the Western Hemisphere, version 3.0. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia, USA.