Instructions for downloading and displaying route-specific abundance files from BBS data

1)      Download files:

• Species names.txt (gives AOU species numbers)

• usacanab.zip (includes a shape file containing a map of states and provinces in the U. S. and Canada)

• nabbs02_mis_alb.zip (includes a shape file showing all survey routes for the North American Breeding Bird Survey)

• usacanab.avl (legend file for usacanab.shp)

• routeabundancelegend.avl (legend file for nabbs02_mis_alb)

• Either route_abundance.zip (contains text files with route-specific abundance data for ALL species)

• OR spec_route_abund.htm (allows you to download data for individual species)

2)      Unzip (extract) the files “usacanab.zip,” “nabbs02_mis_alb.zip,” and "route_abundance.zip"

3)      Add Themes “usacanab.shp” and “nabbs02_mis_alb.shp” to an Arcview project.

4)      In the Project window, select Add Table.  Choose to List Files of Type: Delimited Text (*.txt), select the file with the AOU number of your species of interest, and click OK.

5)      On the new Table, select the column labeled “Rteno.”  On the Table “Attributes of Nabbs02_mis_alb,” select the same column.  Click the “Join” button on the toolbar (Ctrl + J).  The data for your species should now be associated with the BBS routes shapefile as a new column in its Table, labeled “Abu*” (* indicating the AOU number of your species).

6)      On the left side of your View, double-click on the Theme “usacanab.shp.”  Load the legend file “usacanab.avl,” then click Apply.  Returning to the View, double-click on the Theme “nabbs02_mis_alb.shp” and Load the legend file “routeabundancelegend.avl.”   When asked to choose a Field, select “Abu*” and All, then click OK, then Apply.

With both Themes displayed (Nabbs02_mis_alb.shp on top), you should now see a map of the U.S. and Canada overlaid with BBS routes, which will differ in color according to number of individuals of the selected species counted during 1993-2002.

To view this information for a different species, repeat steps 4-6 above, using the appropriate AOU number.

The shape files have the projection:

Parameter   Value                                            

Projection Albers                                             

datum   nad83                                      

units     meters                                     

1st standard parallel  29 30 00             

2nd standard parallel 45 30 00             

central meridian -96 00 00                   

latitude of projection's origin 23 0 0    

false easting   0                        

false northing  0