San Diego, CA---November 12, 2004: The San Diego Natural History Museum in, partnership with Ibis Publishing, Inc., announces publication of the San Diego County Bird Atlas in mid-January 2005. The atlas is hardbound, 645 pages with 468 color photographs, illustrating 89% of the 527 species covered. It is priced at $80. The atlas' author is Philip Unitt, collections manager for the Department of Birds and Mammals at the San Diego Natural History Museum since 1988, and consultant to numerous public agencies and private firms.

"Because of its position astride the Pacific Flyway, San Diego County boasts the largest number of bird species of any county or any area of equal size in the United States. Though small on a global scale, an area the size of San Diego County can make a major contribution to world biodiversity," Unitt explains. With this atlas, the bird life of San Diego County is now among the best-documented in the world.

Dr. Mick Hager, Executive Director of the Museum said: "This atlas is one of the most ambitious research projects the San Diego Natural History Museum has ever undertaken. It was necessary because between 1980 and 2000 the county's human population has increased by over 51%, changing the status of the county's bird species. Twenty percent of the county's surface burned in 2002 and 2003, making the atlas a basis for assessing the effects of these firestorms without precedent in recorded history. This atlas reaches a level of detail impossible 20 years ago, a level far more relevant to conservation planning." (Unitt's earlier book, Birds of San Diego County, was published 20 years ago; the coverage of the new book is far more thorough, addressing the many changes in southern California's birdlife throughout the 20th century.)

The San Diego County Bird Atlas addresses all the county's birds---wintering birds, migrants, and exotics as well as breeding birds. Each species account covers breeding distribution, nesting habits and schedule, migration, winter distribution, conservation outlook, and taxonomy, if relevant. The accounts include a chart showing the seasonal distribution of the nesting activity of each nesting species; there is at least one map for every regular breeding and wintering species.

The atlas is based on the observations of over 400 volunteer observers who spent over 55,000 hours in the field over five years (1997-2002) throughout the county. Observations are put in the context of each species' biology and history, to identify trends in ranges and numbers, and search for the factors responsible for these trends.

The San Diego County Bird Atlas generated many new discoveries: 11 species nesting in the county for the first time, wintering of the Gray Vireo in the elephant trees of the Anza-Borrego Desert (first discovery of this species wintering in California), spread of species into areas where they were previously unknown, data from some areas that were biologically unknown before the atlas study, information on sites critical to rare, patchy, and colonial species, information on which species are adapting to urbanization and which are retreating from it, and information on how birds respond to the cycle of rain and drought.

The San Diego County Bird Atlas is an accomplishment of the entire community: sponsors are the California Department of Fish and Game, California Department of Transportation, California State Parks, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Palomar Audubon Society, San Diego Audubon Society, San Diego County Water Authority, San Diego Unified Port District, Sweetwater Authority, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Navy, Zoological Society of San Diego, and 160 individuals, societies, and companies.

About the author: A native San Diegan, Phil Unitt has a bachelor's degree from San Diego State University with a major in zoology, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with highest honors. He is editor of Western Birds, the regional journal of ornithology for western North America and co-author of Birds of the Salton Sea: Status, Biogeography and Ecology.

An expert on the birds of Baja California, Unitt has led or participated in more than ten expeditions to the peninsula for the San Diego Natural History Museum. He is the author or co-author of over 30 scientific papers and reports, and for the past 25 years he has conducted numerous surveys relevant to endangered birds in Southern California for local, state, federal, and private agencies.

The primary photographer contributing his talents to the atlas is the nationally renowned Tony Mercieca of Chula Vista; other contributing photographers include Ken Fink of San Diego, Jack Daynes of Poway, Brian Sullivan of San Diego, Ken Kurland of the Imperial Valley, and Richard Webster of Portal, Arizona.

This atlas will be useful to the policy makers who are making irrevocable decisions about our future, birders at all levels, the people of San Diego County who need to understand their natural heritage if that heritage is to have any future.

Unitt will be giving a free lecture followed by a book signing on Wednesday, January 26 from 7 to 9 p.m. The lecture, "Changing Environment, Changing Birdlife: Stories from the San Diego County Bird Atlas" will be held at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Seating is limited to the first 300 people. Reservations not required.

The San Diego County Bird Atlas will be available for purchase by mid-January 2005 at the San Diego Natural History Museum Store at 1788 El Prado in Balboa Park, San Diego, or on-line at www.sdnhm.org/store. 619.255.0239. Gift certificates are available for early purchase.

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