Author: KBO

On a species checklist, all bird species encountered during monitoring efforts (e.g. mist-netting, point counts) are recorded and breeding status is noted. This allows us to gather data on species that are encountered during a visit to a site, but perhaps not captured during the survey itself. The information gleaned from species checklists is used in various ways to monitor bird species.

KBO implements point count surveys to monitor breeding bird distribution, diversity, and abundance. The surveys are completed during the breeding season, from early May through early July.

Using behavioral observation to understand whether birds are breeding successfully in an area provides information about bird/habitat relationships and bird response to habitat change.  By observing the breeding behavior of birds, we can determine an index to reproductive success.  Based on an individual’s behavior (e.g., nest building or carrying food), we can be assigned a breeding behavior score; the higher the score, the more likely that bird was nesting and successfully fledged young.  This method is less labor-intensive and less invasive than the more commonly used nest searching method.

It has been said that bird banding is at once both a delicate art and precise science. It is a method of bird monitoring to track bird populations and demographic trends (characteristics of the population) over time.

The Area Search is a quantitative, habitat-specific survey method that is widely applicable in most habitats. It is useful for diversity measurements such as species richness, bird community composition, and relative abundance; as well as providing simple avian-habitat relationship, natural history, and reproductive information. The method is also well suited for public education and the training of observers.