Site tracks state's breeding birds

A new website keeps track of wild bird breeding in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas, mnbirdatlas.org, was launched last month, the Mankato Free Press reported. The resource has graphs, interactive maps and data including where, when and how many birds are breeding in the state. Almost 250 species were observed and more than 230 bird species were confirmed during the project, which was begun in 2009 and completed in 2013.

Eight organizations, 700 field volunteers and 43 photographers worked with researchers and a technical review team to create the website. Nonprofit Audubon Minnesota led the project and experts from the University of Minnesota Duluth's Natural Resources Research Institute assisted.

The website lists counties were certain species have seen sighted and provides details about the number of breeding pairs in the area.

A comprehensive study on the state's breeding birds hasn't been compiled since 1936.

Associated Press