AfriAtlas: an R package for automating the visualization of African bird atlas project data

Abstract

The African Bird Atlas Project (ABAP) represents one of the largest citizen-science biodiversity monitoring initiatives, generating large-scale bird occurrence and survey datasets across the African continent. However, utilizing this pentad-scale map data for high-level analysis or publication often requires complex workflows involving manual data downloads, cleaning, and GIS processing. To resolve this technical barrier, the AfriAtlas , an open-source R package is designed to streamline the retrieval and visualization of ABAP data. The package interfaces directly with the BirdMap API to fetch spatial occurrence and survey effort data. AfriAtlas leverages the sf, rnaturalearth, ggplot2 packages to handle dynamic administrative boundaries and render standardized, publication-ready maps. Key features include automated effort-adjusted choropleth maps, species distribution plots incorporating a Widespreadness Index developed within AfriAtlas to quantify the spatial extent and distribution patterns of species, and fault-tolerance mechanisms for batch processing. By automating these workflows, AfriAtlas promotes reproducibility and lowers the entry barrier for ornithological and conservation research in Africa.