Welcome

In two centuries of American ornithology, The Birds of North America (BNA) is only the fourth comprehensive reference covering the life histories of North American birds. Following in the footsteps of Wilson, Audubon, and Bent, BNA makes a quantum leap in information beyond what these historic figures were able to provide. The print version of BNA was completed in 2002, a joint 10 year project of the American Ornithologists' Union, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Now as an online project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, BNA is poised to become a living resource. Account contents are updated frequently, with online-coordinated contributions from researchers, citizen scientists, and designated reviewers and editors. In addition, BNA Online contains image and video galleries showing behaviors, habitat, nests, eggs and nestlings, and more. And each online species account contains recordings of that bird's songs and calls, selected from the extensive collection in Cornell's Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds.

News & Updates

Update (July 2008)--New Photos Added-- Nearly 100 new species and life history images added by Brian Sullivan (galleries updated include Black-footed Albatross, Glaucous-winged Gull and Red-shouldered Hawk) and from Mossy Kilcher at Seaside Alaska (galleries updated include Alder Flycatcher, Dark-eyed Junco, Fox Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, Red Crossbill, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Spruce Grouse, Varied Thrush, and many more. See the archives for the full list of galleries updated.

Update (June 2008)--New Fully Revised Account-- Mourning Dove, revised by David L. Otis, John H. Schulz and David Miller.

Update (June 2008)--New Fully Revised Account-- Black-footed Albatross, revised by J. Awkerman and D. Anderson.

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Complete Archives of News & Updates