The birds of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park

Witt, Christopher

FIELD WORK: 'This senior project is a step on the road toward the compilation of a definitive reference work on the status and distribution of the birds of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park. An introduction and a guide to finding birds on Mount Desert Island are designed primarily for bird watchers, and are written on the basis of four years of birding experience in the area. The heart of this work is a set of species accounts which summarize the seasonal occurrence and currrent and historical (where available) status of every species of bird which is known to occur on Mount Desert Island, Schoodic Peninsula, the islands of Acadia National Park, and offshore waters. The set of species accounts was begun during the 1970's by project adviser Will Russell, but not completed. This manuscript seeks to revise, update, and complete the original manuscript, incorporating old and new published information as well as original records and field notes. A list of references which contain original or significant information on the birds of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park was compiled, and is listed here. A summary of the Mount Desert Island Breeding Bird Atlas Project of 1995-1997 is included with a summary of results and some preliminary distribution maps. Color photographs give examples of five representative habitats and illustrate ten interesting or unusual bird species.' This work summarizes local bird newsletters and observations by others. For each species, includes status, occurrence, unconfirmed reports, CBC summary, significant records (including extreme dates, high counts, and other records) for the summer, fall, winter, and spring. /STUDY LOCATIONS:/ /ACADIA NATIONAL PARK/MOUNT DESERT ISLAND/SCHOODIC PENINSULA/ISLE AU HAUT/ISLANDS/ GIS-CATEGORY 2A ; Birds: Contains observation and nesting localities