HELP
Behaviors of doves and pigeons
Study sites for Dove Detectives
What should I do if I find doves and pigeons but haven't
set up a study site yet?
Where can I study doves and pigeons?
Dove Detectives methods
Practicing
Count each bird only once
Collecting data
Why your data are important
What if I don't see any doves or pigeons?
BEHAVIORS OF DOVES AND PIGEONS
STUDY SITES FOR "DOVE DETECTIVES"
What should I do if I notice a flock of doves and
I want to study them immediately?
If you see a group of columbids and decide that you will observe them immediately
but you have not yet recorded any habitat information, follow these steps:
- Make your observations, recording numbers and species
of doves and their behaviors.
- Take notes on the habitat characteristics (e.g. lawn,
shrubs, traffic, pedestrians, etc.).
- Fill out the habitat forms and tally sheets as soon
as you are able to print them out.
- Return to the study site to complete the habitat form if necessary.
For example, you are getting off the bus near a park and you notice a group
of Mourning Doves. You decide you'd like to take a few minutes to observe them.
Write down the time (start and end), the amount of time you spent watching,
your counts, and the doves' behaviors. Also, take good notes about the study
site. When you return to your computer, download and print the tally sheets
and habitat forms and fill them in. If necessary, return to the study site to
get more accurate habitat description. Each time you return to your study site
be sure to use a new tally sheet for your bird counts.
Where can I study doves and pigeons?
You can report Dove Detectives data for any location in any city at any time.
You can even participate in a city while you are vacationing. First, learn what
pigeons and doves that live in the city you plan to visit. Then, print out the
habitat forms and tally sheets and take them with you. Conduct the project just
as you would if you were at home.
"DOVE DETECTIVES" METHODS
Practice identifying birds
If you already know how to identify birds, you can get started right away. If
you don't know how, you can still participate. Start by learning about doves
and pigeons. Look for one species and add more species as you become comfortable.
For example, you could start by only counting pigeons and then add new species
as you learn about them. To
learn about doves and pigeons that are often seen in cities, click here.
Try to count each bird only once
While you are counting, birds may fly in and out of your study site. Record each
bird only once. If a bird flies out of sight and then a bird flies in, assume
that the second bird is the same as the first one and only count it once.
COLLECTING DATA
Why your data are important
Your data will provide estimates of bird densities in urban areas. Densities
are counts of birds in a specific area, such as a city block or an acre. Few
projects provide bird densities because they fail to report the size of the
observation area. Your data on bird density are valuable for scientific research
on birds.
What to do if you don't see any birds
If you return to a study site but no birds show up, be sure to report the data
anyway. It's just as important for scientists to know when birds are not there
as when they are there. For example, you always take five minutes to look for
pigeons and doves when you get off the bus in the afternoon. On days when you
don't see any birds, you should report "no birds seen".
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