Wild turkey numbers are way up, kestrel numbers are way down and robins are holding steady. These are some of the early findings from Breeding Bird Atlas 2, a statewide, volunteer-based initiative by Mass Audubon to map the distribution of all bird species known to nest in Massachusetts. Volunteers are needed to be part of this project to learn more about the breeding life of Island birds. Join us for a discussion about the initiative, how it works and what you can do to help us paint a picture of the lives of the breeding birds on the Vineyard. The discussion takes place on May 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary.

Between 1974 and 1979, Massachusetts became the first state or province in North America to conduct a breeding bird atlas. Now, thirty years later, BBA2 is already showing how large-scale landscape changes during the past three decades have affected wildlife — for better and for worse. Ultimately, we hope the results will help the state government and Mass Audubon formulate better environmental and conservation policies.

Presenters will include Simon Perkins, Mass Audubon Field Ornithologist and BBA2 coordinator, and John Liller, a frequent Island visitor who is coordinating the atlas coverage on Martha’s Vineyard.