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Breeding Season Projects


The history of ornithology is replete with the contributions of amateurs and volunteers. For evidence, thumb through any field guide to the birds and look at the range maps. In most cases they were compiled from thousands of bird sightings made by bird watchers and reported in bird club newsletters or local bird journals.

One of the most direct ways that citizens can be involved in bird conservation is through programs designed to monitor bird populations. Efforts to protect migrant birds and their habitats must be based on up-to-date data. Solid data will detect trends in songbird populations and will be critical to identifying the factors affecting populations in both northern and tropical habitats.

Many bird clubs, state ornithological societies, National Audubon Society chapters, and individuals conduct monitoring activities that produce valuable information. Volunteers can investigate bird banding, state atlasing, summer bird counts, and other programs and choose one appropriate to the level of skill and time available. To find out more about monitoring projects, obtain The Directory of Volunteer Opportunities for Birders from the American Birding Association, P.O. Box 6599, Colorado Springs, CO 80934.

Several continent-wide monitoring programs exist to detect trends in breeding populations. Here are descriptions of some of these programs:

BIRD BANDING PROJECTS
Many bird banding stations throughout North America welcome assistance from volunteers. In most cases volunters don't actually band birds, but do extricate them from mist nets and take them to the head bander for processing. Operating mist nets is fun and handling birds is a tremedous method of improving bird identification skills.

Several large banding stations that frequently enlist volunteer assistants are:

You can also contact a local bird club to learn if any licensed banders are working near your home.

The Monitoring Avian Productivity Survey (MAPS) project is an ambitious effort to coordinate banding programs across the continent to learn more about nesting success and survival of small land birds. Begun in 1989, the project is run by the Institute for Bird Populations. No participant's fee is required. Contact the Institute at P.O. Box 1346, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956-1346. (Phone 415-664-1436).

BIRDS IN FORESTED LANDSCAPES

The phenomenon of forest fragmentation has prompted many studies of "area sensitivity"—will a species that typically breeds in large forest tracts be successful in smaller tracts? In 1993 the Cornell Lab of Ornithology initiated Project Tanager, an effort to assess the breeding status of four tanager species in forests of different sizes across North America. In 1999, A Land Manager's Guide to Improving Habitat for Scarlet Tanagers and other Forest-interior Birds was published based on the findings of Project Tanager.

Due to the success of Project Tanager, the Lab has started a similar study that focuses on woodland thrushes and two woodland hawks called Birds in Forested Landscapes (BFL). The study draws on the expertise of both amateur birders and professional ornithologists to locate these bids, monitor their reproductive behavior, and search for nests. The study sites are selected by professional land managers and biologists. Birders. armed with full instructions, data forms, and cassettes of the birds' vocalizations (all provided by the Lab), visit the sites at least twice during the breeding season to watch and listen for the presence of breeding pairs. Data are then sent to the Lab for analysis. No fee is required for participation. For more information, visit the BFL website Birds in Forested Landscapes.

BREEDING BIRD ATLASES
Open up a state breeding bird atlas and you will find a two-page description of each species' habitat preferences and nesting location and a map showing confirmed, probable, and possible nesting sites. This information was collected primarily by amateur birders who painstakingly searched plots (typically 10 square miles) for the presence of breeding birds. They visited their sites several times during the breeding season, watching closely for specific behaviors to determine nesting status. At the end of the season, they sent their lists of potential, probable, and confirmed breeders to regional coordinators, who edited them and forwarded them to the sponsoring agency. By the end of a set time period—usually five years—an accurate picture of the state's breeding bird distribution emerged and maps were published.

Many states have recently finished atlases, some are nearly complete, and a few states are just beginning. No participation fee is involved.

BREEDING BIRD SURVEY

Data from the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), compiled since 1966, were among the first to validate the concerns of many birders and ornithologists that migratory bird populations were declining. These data gave birth to Partners in Flight.

The BBS now covers more than 50,000 miles of secondary roads and involves nearly 2,000 volunteer observers. Starting before dawn on one day during the breeding season, observers stop every half-mile along a 24.5-mile route to count for three minutes all birds heard and seen within a quarter-mile radius. BBS sample sizes have been sufficient to analyse population trends for approximately 377 species.

The BBS is organized on the state level by volunteer coordinators. As a participant, you will receive a start-up packet containing survey instructions, route map, bird lists pertaining to your region, the BBS annual report of the previous year, and the Breeding Bird Monitor newsletter. No participant fee in involved.

The Breeding Bird Survey is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and the Canadian Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Research Centre. For more information and to participate, contact Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD, USA 20708-4038. (Phone 301-497-5841). Or visit the Breeding Bird Survey website.