Overview of Pennsylvania IBA Point Count Methods - 2002

PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE INSTRUCTIONS AND THE DATA FORM WERE REVISED AND SIMPLIFIED ON 29 MAY 2002. READ THEM CAREFULLY. Point counts are widely used to provide habitat-specific relative abundance data for birds. In Pennsylvania we plan to use point counts on Important Bird Areas (IBAs) to obtain baseline relative abundance data by habitat type, to assess the effects of various land management practices, and to determine long-term trends. Point counts require highly skilled observers who can identify all species quickly by both sight and sound.

Audubon-PA will locate and mark all points. Each point will be identified by GPS coordinates, and marked with wooden stakes (or spray painted flourescent pink, orange or another bright color). Each point will be 250m or more apart, and located along trails or primitive roads.

All points should be surveyed between May 15th and June 30th, from sunrise until 10:00 AM, during suitable weather. (Surveys should not be conducted in the rain or during winds gusting to 20 mph.) We estimate that up to 15 points (minimum 10) can be completed in one morning. Trainees/friends can accompany volunteer birders on these surveys, but only one person should conduct the actual bird counts. Each point count shall be conducted for a period of 3 minutes, after at least a one-minute "settling down" period after walking to the point. Point counts should be repeated at least once each season, with a minimum of a 7-day interval between surveys.

We are hopeful volunteers will be willing to continue these surveys annually for many years to come. We are working with Patuxent WRC and Cornell so each volunteer will be able to enter the data into a central database from your home computer. Please enter these data promptly (instructions will be forthcoming), or return them to Audubon-PA as soon as possible (send to: Steve Hoffman, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, PA 17110).

Please contact Steve Hoffman, Kim Van Fleet or Rob Blye immediately if you are ready to do point counts on IBAs in your area, but have not yet been assigned specific sites.

Specific instructions for completing Pennsylvania IBA Point Count Data Forms - 2002

Visit description:

1. DATE: Enter the date of the survey in the month/day/year format.
2. OBSERVER: Enter the full name of the person conducting the survey.
3. ASSISTANT: Enter the name of a trainee, or anyone accompanying the official observer on the survey (for the purpose of scientific standardization, only one person should do the actual count).
4. IBA NAME and NUMBER: Enter the name of the Important Bird Area in which the survey is being conducted and the corresponding identification number, such as:

5. ROAD OR TRAIL NAME/QUAD NAME: Enter the road or trail name the survey site is located on or near, as well as the name of the USGS topographic quadrangle.
6. VISIT NUMBER: Enter the visit number of the current survey (1, 2, or 3).
7. PAGE: Enter the page number of the Data Form and, after "of", enter the total number of data forms used for that site visit.
8. TIME (START): Enter the start time (EDT) of the survey for that day. TIME (STOP): Enter the time (EDT) the survey ended for the day. Use Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDT) if appropriate and indicate AM or PM
9. SKY CODE: Enter the most appropriate description of the current weather conditions (for the start and end times each day) from the following:

10. TEMP (F): Enter the approximate temperature in Fahrenheit degrees for the Start and Stop times of the survey.
11. WIND CODE: Enter one of two wind codes (listed below). The choice should be based on the average wind speed at the time of recording (during start and stop times each day).

1. NOTES: All field notes are entered into the database and thus are an important form of permanent record keeping. Enter remarks about bird detections, observation conditions, or the data collected. For situations where water noise is present, include a code in the this space to describe the level of water noise, as follows: 0 (no noise), 1 (gentle bubbling noise, probably not missing any birds), 2 (babbling creek, might be missing songs or calls for higher pitched species, or some distant birds), 3 (rushing creek noise, probably detecting only those birds within 50 m), 4 (roaring creek and river, probably detecting only the very loudest calls and songs within 50 m).

Bird detection information:

2. STATION NUMBER: Enter the permanent station number of the survey site (pre-assigned).
3. START TIME: Enter the time the survey starts at each station (once per station).
4. SPECIES NAME: Enter the species common name for each species detected at each station; each species is entered only once per station. The common name is to reduce data entry interpretation errors and help rectify coding errors using the 4-letter species codes required below.
5. SPECIES CODE: Enter the four-letter species code for each species detected at each station (a code list will be provided). Each species code is used only once per station. Double check that the speices code matches the common name when you return from the field.
6. TYPICAL DETECTION: A typical detection is defined as a bird being seen or heard during the three-minute observation period in an area starting from the ground or water surface and up to a point no higher than the highest vegetation (any bird within the tree canopy). Tally the number of each species detected in the column provided. An individual bird is tallied only once and is not recorded if detected at any subsequent stations. Count all birds detected at the point (except flyovers and flushes) without regard to distance from the point except do not tally birds that will be counted at an adjacent point.
7. FLYOVERS: A fly-over detection is defined as a bird flying above the highest vegetation. An exception to this is made for birds detected during very short flights from treetop to treetop, such as foraging birds, which are recorded as typical detections.
8. JUV (juvenile): Enter the number of juvenile birds of each species observed regardless of detection type. Remember to tally each bird only once.
9. FLUSH: Flush detection is defined as any bird flushed from an area as the observer enters or leaves a station or a new species observed between points. Only birds not seen or heard at an observation point count should be tallied here. Enter the number of flush detections for each species here. If you are not certain about whether the bird was detected before, do not count it.
10. NOTES: Enter any remarks about bird detections or clarifications about the data.

Thank you!