Survey Protocol
What am I committing to?
The BC Coastal Waterbird Survey is a program designed
to monitor coastal waterbirds. Participants of the Survey are encouraged
to visit and count waterbirds at a designated survey site once a month
with an emphasis from September to April. Even with a few visits a year,
you are helping amass an important data set for monitoring and helping
to conserve waterbird populations in British Columbia. While we hope
people will adopt a BC Coastal Waterbird Survey site and continue to
visit for years to come, we appreciate whatever efforts you can make.
What if I cannot visit every month?
In
the event of any absences or illness, a friend can step in and do your
waterbird count for the month, or inform your regional organizer or the
BC Coastal Waterbird Survey Coordinator to help find a temporary
replacement. If a monthly survey is missed, surveys can resume when you
return.
What bird species are we counting?
We are counting all species of coastal waterbirds
including the many species of loons, grebes, cormorants, herons,
swans, geese, ducks, shorebirds, gulls, terns, auks as well as raptors
that use coastal areas. Because raptors are also of interest and may
affect numbers of waterbirds, we are counting hawks, eagles, falcons and
vultures flying over or using the survey area.
Survey skills and equipment
Surveyors must be comfortable identifying all
waterbird species that regularly occur in the survey area. If you are
unsure of your identification skills, why not accompany an experienced
observer until you feel confident with all the regular species in your
area?
To adequately view and identify waterbirds from the
shoreline, surveyors need either binoculars or a spotting scope, but
preferably both. Optical equipment should be good enough to identify
birds up to at least 500m from the shoreline in good conditions.
Once you have a designated BC Coastal Waterbird Survey
site and the necessary viewing equipment and skills, you are ready to do
a monthly survey!
Where are BC Coastal Waterbird
Survey sites?
A suitable BC Coastal Waterbird Survey site is an
accessible section of the British Columbia coastline with safe and legal
access to the site. A survey site can be along rocky intertidal
shorelines, a sandy or cobble beach, a small or large bay or an estuary.
|
Click
here to view the Survey site locations. |
If you would like to participate in the Survey contact
the BC Coastal Waterbird Survey Coordinator. You may suggest your own
location for a survey site or the organizer may be able to select a
location for you. It is important that coastal waterbird counts be
consistent, counting only within the site boundaries decided on jointly
by yourself, your regional organizer and/or the BC Coastal Waterbird
Survey Coordinator.
When do I do my BC Coastal
Waterbird Survey?
BC Coastal Waterbird Surveys are monthly waterbird
counts. To standardize counts in each area, surveyors are asked to visit
on the second Sunday of each month, or as close to that day as possible.
We urge you to try and count as close to the target day as possible, but
since weather conditions vary and other commitments crop up, all surveys
are accepted and appreciated.
Synchronized counts are most important for certain
large areas that are divided among multiple observers, where there is a
high risk of multiple counting. Regional organizers in these areas may
wish to emphasize coordinated efforts.
Additional Surveys
For those who have the time to contribute, we
encourage you to count more than one site. Also, if you have the time,
or are visiting your site more often than once a month, we encourage you
to carry out surveys more frequently, especially during migration
periods. This can provide valuable additional information on migration
patterns and short-term fluctuations in numbers.
Weather and Sea Conditions
Weather conditions affect the visibility of waterbirds
and the enjoyment of the visit. Surveys should be conducted on days with
reasonable weather conditions. Slight winds and drizzles are OK, but
avoid those westcoast winter storms! It can be difficult to see birds in
rough, stormy waters, so avoid counting when the sea is rough. Suitable
weather and sea conditions are up to the discretion of each volunteer
counter. Base your judgement on normal weather conditions for that time
of year.
What about changes with the tide?
One major consideration when counting coastal
waterbirds is the state of the tide. In some areas, like extensive
mudflats and sandy beaches, waterbirds are too far away to see unless
the tide is relatively high. In other areas, the effect of the tide may
be far less dramatic. Although you may be able to see some species
better at low or mid-tides, such as feeding shorebirds, it is important
to standardize the Survey. BC Coastal Waterbird Surveys are best done
between the period beginning 2 hours before the high tide of the day
until 2 hours after the high tide of the day.
The high tide of the day in this example is 16:00 (4 oclock
in the afternoon). Therefore the best time to count waterbirds is from
14:00 to 18:00 (between 2 and 6 oclock in the afternoon). If you
require tide information for your surveys contact your regional
organizer or the BC Coastal Waterbird Survey Coordinator.
How do I count waterbirds?
WATERBIRD COUNTS
All waterbirds are counted during a survey, but we
would like you to separate waterbirds into 3 habitat categories: INLAND,
NEAR-SHORE and OFF-SHORE habitats. Separating waterbird counts by
habitat will help us understand which habitats birds are using as well
as reduce the variation among observers. Most of us, under good
conditions, will be able to identify waterbirds up to 500m, but the
observer variation will increase at greater distances.
INLAND refers to all birds in inland habitats (on the
shore, in fields, or on inland waterbodies) that are visible from the
shore or from your vantagepoint.
NEAR-SHORE refers to birds in near-shore habitats,
which extend from the high tide mark of the shoreline to 500m out onto
the water.
OFF-SHORE refers to birds in off-shore habitats, which
extend from 500m off-shore to as far as you can see waterbirds during
the visit.
Please separate these counts by habitat, and enter
them in the appropriate columns on the BC Coastal Waterbird Survey
recording form. At some sites, like estuaries or narrow inlets, birds
can be seen 500m away but are obviously not in OFF-SHORE habitats. In
these situations, please put birds in the appropriate habitat. If you
cannot tell which habitat the birds are in, you can use the UNKNOWN
HABITAT column. As much as possible, please use your judgement to
make your estimate as precise as possible.
What about birds moving around
during the survey?
If a movement of birds occurs during the survey, do
your best to count birds only once. Birds that fly into your count area,
birds that continuously move about within the count area, or birds that
were in the count area when you began but later flew out of the area
should be counted only once. Record moving birds in the habitat that was
closest to shore. If birds were near-shore then moved off-shore record
them in the near-shore habitat. If birds were near-shore and moved
inland, record them in the inland habitat. If you are uncertain about
which habitat, use the unknown habitat column.
What if I see a species that is not
on the form?
Over 75 species of waterbirds have been recorded in
British Columbia. To keep the survey form simple, we have only listed
the species that are most commonly recorded in most areas of BC. If you
see a species not listed, simply fill in the species name on one of the
lines under "OTHER" and record the appropriate counts there.
Counting waterbirds at your survey
site
BC coastline habitats are diverse, which results in
wide variation between BC Coastal Waterbird Survey sites. Survey
techniques will differ between sites. At some sites, such as small bays
or harbours, waterbird counts can be done from one vantagepoint. At
these sites, the off-shore habitat begins at 500m from the observer.
When walking along shorelines or mudflats, waterbird
counts should be broken up into sections, using landmarks along the
shoreline, such as a tree. Observers should walk along the shoreline,
stopping to count each section. Try and be consistent each time
you survey the site. The off-shore habitat begins at 500m from the
shoreline.
Estimating the distance
Some people will feel confidant estimating a distance
of 500m to distinguish the near-shore and off-shore sections of the
coastline. For others, this can be a difficult task. Some helpful and
easy distance estimation techniques include;
Pacing out 500m on the beach: To get a feel for
500m, you can pace out a 500m distance along the shoreline and use that
as your future 500m estimate. The average person walks approximately 1
meter with every 2 steps, therefore to pace 500m you need to walk 1000
casual steps.
Using a permanent Marker: You can use a
permanent marker, such as a buoy, deep water marker, or even a tree down
the beach as a consistent 500m distance estimate. You can use an
imaginary radius from the permanent marker to denote a ~500m distance
from the shoreline.
The 500m distance is only an
approximate estimate. Errors of 100m too far or 100m too close are not
important, as long as you try to be consistent.
Recording the BC Coastal Waterbird
Data
It is helpful to take the recording form along during
your survey, although many people find it useful to use a notebook in
the field. Please fill in the BC Coastal Waterbird Survey recording form
soon after the visit. This ensures that all the details can be
remembered and included on the recording form.
Send completed BC Coastal Waterbird Survey recording
forms to your regional organizer or to the BC Coastal Waterbird Survey
Coordinator. Recording forms can be sent when it is convenient, but all
recording forms for the year should be sent to the BC Coastal Waterbird
Survey Coordinator by May 1st. We require the submission of
all data by May to produce the annual newsletter during the summer.
To download the recording form, click
here.
Please Send Completed BC Coastal Waterbird Survey
Recording Forms to the:
BC Coastal Waterbird Survey
Bird Studies Canada
5421 Robertson Road, RR1
Delta, British Columbia
Canada, V4K 3N2
Safety
Coasts can be dangerous habitats. Please take great
care during BC Coastal Waterbird Survey related activities. Please
inform someone when you are counting coastal waterbirds and your
expected time home. Please wear the appropriate clothing, like warm
layers and rain gear when needed. Bird Studies Canada cannot accept
responsibility or liability for accidents during activities related to
the BC Coastal Waterbird Survey.
