This October, BirdLife International will release its highly-anticipated Important Bird Areas Americas, part of their Important Bird Areas Programme. Similar publications have been made for regions like Europe and Africa, and this will serve as the largest compilation of Important Bird Areas in one document.

Coined a "cartography of hope", the publication will provide maps showing locations of Important Bird Areas, providing summaries for what makes each an Important Bird Area. They will also be listed by country, providing for quick navigation to read about areas in each country. Given the great number of birds that breed in Canada and its Boreal Forest, it's not a surprise that Canada tops the list with a total of 325 Important Bird Areas.

Birdlife International's self-produced World Birdwatch magazine previews the exciting release of the Americas version, including descriptions of what it will look like and how it was made (the research and detail that went into this is truly awe-inspiring). It also mentions that the photography will be equally impressive, which is another treat to look forward to.

Here are the 4 pages describing the upcoming release, which you can open or download as a PDF: