Press Releases

The Birds of North America Online

November 17, 2004

WINGS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS The Birds of North America Online Takes Flight

Ithaca, New York, November 2004--The definitive reference on more than 700 species of North American birds has taken the leap into cyberspace. All 18,000 pages of the landmark series The Birds of North America are now universally available via The Birds of North America Online at http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.

Produced by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, The Birds of North America Online is a living, growing, searchable repository of knowledge on the life histories of North American birds. Like the print version, it includes authoritative information written by 700 ornithologists about behavior, habitats, migration, breeding, conservation, and a host of other topics. Additionally, it offers dynamic new multimedia features. With a few clicks of the mouse, you can view video clips that show the bird behaviors you are reading about. You can listen to recordings of bird vocalizations that are described in the text. Image galleries make it easy to explore close-up views of plumages, nests, eggs, and habitats through photographs and drawings by acclaimed nature photographers and artists.

With electronic access, The Birds of North America Online will keep pace with the latest changes in ornithology by including new scientific results from authors and experts. Essentially unlimited in capacity, the resource will continue to grow as the Cornell Lab of Ornithology adds more video footage, sound recordings, images, and text as they become available.

Another advantage of the online version is its cost to consumers. The published 18-volume edition of The Birds of North America sold for thousands of dollars, but an individual subscription to The Birds of North America Online is just $40 a year. Subscriptions for libraries and other institutions are also available. To take a test drive or to subscribe, go to http://bna.birds.cornell.edu or call (866) 924-7362.

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The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a nonprofit membership institution interpreting and conserving the earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds.