Birding is a big deal in West Virginia. Indeed, it’s a big deal everywhere. Birders are devoted to their hobby; some call it a way of life. There are 170 bird species in West Virginia, so the up-at-dawn, binocular-wearing crowd can spend a lifetime studying them.

West Virginia birders owe a great deal to Alonzo Beecher “A.B.” Brooks (b.1873), who lived in Wheeling and served as the first naturalist in Oglebay Park. He was known for his Sunday morning nature walks, on which he led locals through the woods to identify bird species. Along the way, he recited poetry and taught participants about trees, flowers, insects, and mammals in the park. By 1938, Brooks had led 1,200 nature walks and over 50,000 people along the Oglebay Trails.

The Brooks Bird Club was founded in 1932 in honor of Brooks and has grown beyond the borders of West Virginia. Now, birders have a new resource: The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in West Virginia. (The first was published in 1994.) The volume is the result of a monumental effort to assemble the most comprehensive catalog of birds in the Mountain State.

Ever.

Make no mistake, birders: the atlas is heavy. You’re not going to be tucking it into your pocket or backpack as you would a field guide. This is the book you come home to after a day in the field to confirm what you identified, understand its habitat, and study its range and breeding habits. And if you’re interested in how your bird is woven into the tapestry of West Virginia’s geography, climate, and habitats—because it’s all connected—you’ll find that in the atlas as well. Map lovers will appreciate the extensive maps that illustrate topography, hydrography, and ecoregions.

With assistance from the Brooks Bird Club, two West Virginia ornithologists endeavored to assemble and edit the new atlas. Richard Bailey is the State Ornithologist for the WV Division of Natural Resources. Casey Rucker is the editor of The Redstart, the Brooks Bird Club’s journal. From field work to final edits, their monumental effort has resulted in an incredibly comprehensive volume that will tell you what species you’ll find, where you will find it, where you might find it, where it’ll be breeding, and where it’ll be migrating.

I spoke with Bailey about the atlas and what readers can expect.*

What is a West Virginia birder going to find in the atlas?

The atlas is a desktop reference (not a portable paperback field guide) that summarizes data collected over 6 years for 170 breeding bird species. Each species and 2 hybrids get full accounts, which include (1) descriptions of natural history, distribution, historical occurrence, notable findings from fieldwork, population trends, and conservation issues and needs; and (2) maps, graphs, and tables that cover breeding evidence, estimated occurrence, change, and density, and population trends since 1966. Also included are chapters covering the state's geography and climate, habitats, atlas field methodology … and more. Taken as a whole, the book represents the most comprehensive compilation of information on birds in the Mountain State ever produced.

How did you assemble such a volume of information?

Planning for the atlas began in 2007… Fieldwork was conducted 2009-2014, and I hired on in 2011 … Casey worked on several field projects targeting certain species, while I coordinated the project as a whole with the help of another WVDNR biologist (and also spend hundreds of hours in the field). We had more than 100 volunteers submit data over the course of the 6 years and amassed more than 100k observations … Casey hired on in 2016 and we worked together to edit and compile the book and see it through to completion. Writing began in earnest in 2016, with many, many rounds of editing and revisions, as well as peer review.

Do you have a favorite WV bird?

My personal favorite bird in WV is the loggerhead shrike. There are many other birds I love very much, like the cerulean warbler (WV has more than a third of the global population during breeding season), but shrike behavior and ecology is incredibly fascinating, and they have big personalities. We have very few left in the state, and their population has declined by 75% in the US and Canada. I'm hoping we'll find a way to keep them in WV.

 Where is the book available?

The book is available for sale from online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble, but we strongly recommend that it be purchased directly from our incredible publisher, Penn State University Press. Here's the link. Members of the Brooks Bird Club, West Virginia's long-time ornithological club/organization, are entitled to a discount. We owe them a great debt of gratitude for a generous donation that enabled us to substantially reduce the cost of the book. I highly recommend joining the club. Members should contact me directly for a discount code. The book is also on sale at various book shops across the state. An example is the visitor center at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge. 

*Edited for length and clarity.