The London Bird Atlas is a benchmark publication for its scientific content although the species accounts are written with the lay reader in mind. In addition to scientists and conservationists, the book’s target audience includes keen birders and wildlife enthusiasts, many of whom take regular wildlife holidays.
The London Bird Atlas is a joint publication between London Natural History Society and specialist natural history publisher John Beaufoy Publishing. The book balances strong visual design with science.
Given its target audience, the LNHS opened the book for advertising support as this benefits advertisers, the members and provides a sustainable funding model for the society’s long tradition of producing high quality publications.
What is in the London Bird Atlas?
- The book has introductory chapters setting out the changes that have occurred since the production of bird atlases began in the London area, especially since the last one, and a general summary of the birdlife and habitats of the London area.
- The atlas uses 2 km squares i.e. 25 tetrads in each 10km square. This is a total of 856 tetrads in the LNHS area. Distribution maps are produced at higher levels of resolution than the National Atlas (Balmer et al 2013) which records on 10km square grids.
- The atlas compares the current breeding distribution (2008-13), with the distribution approximately 20 years ago (1988-94), and with distribution approximately 40 years ago (1968-72).
- This is the first atlas of London’s birds which includes relative abundance maps, both during the breeding season and the winter, based on Timed Counts in each tetrad for selected species. Nearly 100% coverage of tetrads was achieved for the selected species for the Timed Counts.
- The atlas’s winter distribution maps cover the winters from 2007/08 to 2012/13. This is the first time the distribution has been recorded at this scale in winter in the London area.
- The London Bird Atlas covers 27 breeding visitors, 50 winter visitors and 106 which breed and winter in the London area, and 5 which formerly bred in the area but no longer do so, making a total of 188 species of birds.
- It has 130 breeding distribution maps and 158 winter distribution maps, as well as breeding abundance maps, winter abundance maps and change maps.Introductory chapters setting out the changes that have occurred since the production of atlases began in the London area, especially since the last one, and a general summary of the bird life/habitats of the London area.
A selection of sample species accounts can be viewed by clicking in the images to the right.
Background
November 1st 2007 saw the start of an exciting new project nationwide, with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) beginning a new Atlas project to monitor the distribution of the UK’s birds in both winter and the breeding season. The fieldwork for the national Atlas was completed in 2011 and the results were published in 2013.
The LNHS have completed two previous Atlases in London – both in the breeding season at the same time as the previous national Atlases (1968-72 & 1988-94). The findings of the last Atlas were written up in ‘The Breeding Birds of the London Area’ (LNHS, 2002 edited by Jan Hewlett).
Supporters
Given its target audience, the LNHS sought advertising support as this benefits advertisers, the members and provides a sustainable funding model for the society’s long tradition of producing high quality publications.
The London Natural History Society is very pleased to have the following supporters for the London Bird Atlas.
Principal Supporters
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Advertising Supporters
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