Monitoring Bird Populations

Bibliography & additional resources

Methodology

Assessment of counting techniques. Verner, J. In Current Ornithology, Vol.2. Johnston, Richard F. (Ed.). Plenum Press: New York, 1985.

Bird Census Techniques. Bibby, Colin J., Burgess, Neil D.; and David A. Hill. British Trust for Onrithology and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Academic Press: London 1992.

Estimating Numbers of Terrestrial Birds. Ralph, C.J. and J. Michael Scott, eds. Studies in Avian Biology No.6. Cooper Ornithological Society, 1981. (Proceedings of an International Symposium held at Asilomar, California October 26-31, 1980).

Guidelines for Monitoring Populations of Neotropical Migratory Birds on National Forest System Lands. Manley, P.N., et al., Eds. USDA-Forest Service Wildlife and Fisheries Staff. Monitoring Task Group Report.1993.

Handbook of Field Methods for Monitoring Landbirds. Ralph, C.J.; Geupel, Geoffrey R.; Pyle, Peter, Martin, Thomas E.; and David F. DeSante. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-GTR-144. Washington, D.C. May 1993.

Manual de Metodos de Campo para el Monitoreo de Aves Terrestrias. Ralph, C.J., et al. General Technical Report PSG-GTR-159. USDA-Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 1997. In Spanish.

Monitoring Bird Populations by Point Counts. Ralph, C.J., Sauer, John R., and Sam Droege, Technical Editors. USDA-Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Statation. 1995. (These papers, from a symposium held in 1991, provide the results and valuable analysis of a number of point count projects conducted in North America).

Monitoring bird populations: the Canadian Experience. Dunn, Erica, Michael D. Cadman, and J. Bruce Falls, eds. Occasional Paper No.95, Canadian Wildlife Service, 1997. Proceedings of a symposium sponsored by the Society of Canadian Ornithologists and the Wilson Ornithological Society, held in conjunction with the joint meeting of these two societies in Guelph, Ontario on 29 April - 2 May 1993.

Monitoring Task Group Report: Guidelines for Monitoring Populations of Neotropical Migratory Birds on National Forests System Lands. Manley, Patricia N.; Block, William M.; Thompson, Frank R.; Butcher, Gregory S.; Paige, Christine; Suring, Lowell H.; Winn, David S.; Roth, Dick; Ralph, C.J.; Morris, Ediie, Flather, Curtis H.; and Ken Byford. USDA Forest Service. Washington, D.C. July 1993.

Skills

Some monitoring methods require the ability to identify the age class and sex of individual birds, usually in the hand. This level of identification requires practice. The Institute for Bird Populations offers week-long banding classes around the country and the following guide is indispensable:

Identification Guide to North American Birds. Pyle, Peter. Institute for Bird Populations and Point Reyes Bird Observatory. 1997

Research and management uses of monitoring data

Bird Population Studies: Relevance to Conservation and Management. Perrins, C.M.; Lebreton, J-D.; and G.J.M. Hirons. Oxford: Oxford University 1991.

Nav, N., S. L. Jones, and G. R. Geupel.  1999.  Statistical guide to data analysis of avian monitoring programs.  USDI-FWS Biological Technical Publication BTP-R6001-1999.

Websites

U.S.Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
   Bird Monitoring in North America
   Marshbird Monitoring
   Raptor Monitoring
   Migration Maps
   Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS)
   Breeding Bird Survey

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
   Migratory Bird Monitoring
   Adaptive Harvest Management
   Strategies for Conservation of Avian Diversity in North America

Institute for Bird Population Studies

Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
   Project Feeder Watch
   Irruptive Bird Survey
   BirdSource

Partners in Flight Monitoring Workgroup

Bird Observatories