INTRODUCTION 



Nesting colonies of seabirds and wading birds are highly visible features of the marine coastal environ- 

 ment. To provide information about this important resource, surveys of nesting waterbirds were conducted 

 in 1976 and 1977. Two major objectives were to: 1) locate all nesting colonies, and 2) estimate the num- 

 bers of breeding pairs of all species at each colony site. Other objectives of the study were to determine re- 

 productive chronology, historical trends and efficient census techniques for each species. The results of 

 these latter investigations arc presented in separate reports by Korschgcn (1979) and Erwin (1979). Data 

 collected in 1976 were preliminary and incomplete in some areas, so 1977 data were used almost exclusively 

 in this atlas. 



The 30 species recorded in this study and their estimated numbers are listed in Table 1. Appendix A 

 lists alphabetically all colony sites for each State. Additional appendixes (B-K) list for each State, all colony 

 sites and estimated numbers for each species present. Only the locations of nesting colonies are depicted in 

 this atlas. No attempt is made to show feeding or resting assemblages, migratory concentrations, or historical 

 colony sites now abandoned. The landward limit of the coastal area covered by this atlas extended approxi- 

 mately to the head of tide in estuaries. In some cases, the precise boundaries were more narrowly defined 

 by the limits of the Coastal Maps. 



Many individuals assisted with the survey. Experienced observers familiar with specific coastal regions 

 provided colony data. Surveys were conducted from April through July depending on latitude and species. 

 Whenever possible the inventories were scheduled to coincide with the incubation periods of most species. 



In 1977, helicopters were used primarily for inventories conducted from southern Maine to Virginia 

 (Erwin 1979). Some of these colonies were inventoried again from the ground following the aerial inven- 

 tory. In these cases, either counts of nests or adults were made. Fixed-wing aircraft were used extensively in 

 Maine to locate colonies (Korschgen 1979). Following this aerial survey, most colonies were visited by boat 

 and counts were made of either nests or adults. 



Data forms were prepared for each colony and provided to the Colonial Bird Register, Laboratory of 

 Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14850. 



