Bird Monitoring for Schools

Bird monitoring stations have been set up in the Tangihua ranges for students using the lodge

The bird Monitoring will provide a wide range of benefits not only to the students but to the conservation program we are running as well.

The bird monitoring is set up so that students of any age can be involved and gain from the experience. The aim is to spark their interest in birds and conservation by:

• 

  Katja A Tauraroa Area School German exchange student doing an excellent job setting up the stations.

  Gathering and interpreting data about birds

• Identifying and learning about key native birds in their environment
• Beginning to understand how birds are part of a wider ecosystem

They will gain practical experience by doing:

• 5 minute Bird counts
• Observing birds around us

This will enable Students to use this knowledge on their own projects at home and elsewhere.

The information gathered will provide online data and information for students off site for:

• Preparation for school camps
• For students to study in the class room as examples
• Use for subjects such as statistics
• Environmental impact studies
• To understand what is happening in real time in our environment
• To provide easy access to information to encourage students and anyone else who may be interested in being involved in conservation.

The information will also be used for our own monitoring purposes and we appreciate the input from schools.

Additional helpful information

For teacher resources click here

Monitoring results so far visit bird count

For bird recordings these links are excellent

• DOC BIRD Song
• Collection of birds Radio NZ – note it has much bigger collection

I suggest you listen to:
Bittern, Bellbird, Fantail, Grey warbler, Kaka, Kiwi, Kingfisher, Ruru (morepork), Kereru (native pigeon), silvereye or wax eye, Tomtit, Tui, plus self introduced such as Rosella.

Methodology

We have set up listening and observation stations (yellow on green track) 200m apart. They are close to the lodge. The first one is in the lodge clearing beside the demonstration bait station on the way to the table. They then follow the Whakapona and Horokaka tracks, down the nature trail finishing at the observation platform.

It will take a morning or afternoon to complete.

The class can split into groups and each group can do more than one station. Smaller groups are more effective as less noise and the timing of the count is similar and quicker. Send the groups off 5 minutes apart and have a set time to do the count. Allow 5 minutes wait time (silently) on site to let things settle down.

Appoint

1. A Timer
2. A note taker
3. Observers looking in different directions
4. Back up observers for when a bird is spotted so not everyone is looking in the same direction

Keep the noise to a minimum when traveling through the bush and on site – silence is impossible with a class.

There are 14 stations.

Taking note of the:

• date
• station ID
• time of day
• weather conditions
• the group’s name e.g. Group 4 Tauraroa Area School year 8

is important to correlate various observations over time.

Some of the birds you may or may not see

Monitoring the birds is an essential part of the conservation program.

Monitoring is important

• To see how well the pest animals have been controlled for accurate decision making
• To be able to prove we have a suitable habitat to introduce locally extinct species
• For funding and satisfaction of those working on the project
• For evaluating future funding decisions and where to invest for the best return
• As an education tool to encourage and make students aware of the issues our natural environment faces and outcomes

Five Minute Bird Count (5MBC)

The five minute bird count method was developed in the early 1970s by Dawson and Bull and is still regarded as the standard.

The 5MBC method is an index measure. Rather than measuring the actual density or abundance of birds directly, it records some of the individuals present and uses this measure to infer density or abundance.

For five-minute bird counts the relationship between the number recorded and the real density or abundance is usually unknown and probably changes with time of day, season, etc.

Method

An observer stands at a count station, usually in forest. Stations are usually 200m apart.

• The observer records the number and species of all birds seen and heard.
• The observer records:
  • their own name
  • the number of birds seen and heard of each species
  • the location of the station (i.e. station or ID number)
  • the date
  • the start time
  • weather variables: temperature, wind, other noise, sun, precipitation type and value
• Use the units recommended by Dawson and Bull.
• No bird is knowingly counted twice within a five-minute interval.
• If a bird is heard at two separate stations but the observer believes it is the same bird, it should still be recorded at both locations.
• No birds should be assumed to be present unless they are seen or heard.

When to use this method

It is important to remember that, like other index counts, this method does not result in an accurate count of all the birds present. The numbers recorded are used to indicate the number of birds present but many factors introduce variability into the results including:

• Range of observer skill levels for bird identification and bird-call recognition
• Range of hearing abilities among observers
• Range of habits and different levels of conspicuousness between species
• Range of environmental and behavioural factors that change how visible birds are during the course of a day and from day to day

The relationship between the number of birds seen and the real number of birds out there is unknown and will almost certainly vary from species to species.

It may be better to use other, more accurate methods such as mark-resight or distance sampling depending on the objectives of your study.

For more about Tangihua birds, Māori names and pictures visit Birds Tangihua ranges