Distribution of Birds in Relation to Major Biotic Communities

Zoogeographical and ecological study of North American avifauna is of recent development. Aside from Allen's early distributional sketch (1871), active investigation in this field did not come until the early 1890's, when the U. S. Biological Survey began to study mammal and bird distribution in various parts of the North American continent to ascertain the 'life-zone' relationships of this distribution. Likewise, aside from Adams' early discussion of community succession (1909), application of the concepts of modern ecology to local distribution of avifauna has become active only within the last decade.