For the Birds

Bird Fieldwork Instructions

These instructions, the Bird Checklist Sample, and the Bird Checklist Template spreadsheets are adapted from materials created by eBird, a programof the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and the U.S.NationalAudubon Society.

Use these instructions to help guide your birding activities. The directions will help you fill out the Bird Checklist.

Completing the Bird Checklist.

Latitude and Longitude. The first step in the data entry process is simply noting where you were birding. It is best to be as accurate as possible. Bird checklists from specificlocations are best (e.g., your yard, a park, or a local birding hotspot).GPS is a great way to pinpoint exactly where you were birding, but if you don’t have access to a GPS tool, use Google Earth to locate the latitude and longitude of your observation position.

Record the date, start time of your observation activity, the province, and country (if outside South Africa).

Protocolis where you categorize categorizing your birding event into one of four types:

  • Traveling Count - Observations made while birding over a specified distance (preferably <5 km) and duration. Examples includewalking along a trailor driving through a naturerefuge.
  • Stationary Count - Observations made from a specific location (moving <30 meters) and duration. Examples include hawkwatching, seawatching or watching birds from your window.
  • Area Count - Observations made from a specified area and duration, often when covering the same ground repeatedly. Examples include a thorough survey of your yard or neighbourhood park.
  • Casual Observation - Incidental observations made when birding was not your primary purpose. Examples include a fly-over vulture seen while driving to work or seeing a few birds while gardening.

Durationrefers to how long you made your observations.

Distance traveled(measured in kilometers) is only used when you make a traveling count.

Notes is where you record observations such as the weather, exceptional events (e.g. the movement of a whole flock,predator chasing catching a bird), or anything that you find interesting during the field observation period.

Species list. Your class has determined the species that you are likely to encounter during you observations. As you make your field observation, tick off how many individuals of each species you observe. Later, you will enter this information as a number in an Excel spreadsheet. (Note, if you encounter a species not on the list, do one of the following:

  1. If you can identify the species, add it to the list.
  2. If the species is new to you, noteits characteristics and try to identify it when you are back in the classroom.