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The "area search" survey method is used to monitor bird species diversity at larger sites with mixed habitats, such as the Friends of Porter Valley sites.
Protocol description
• It doesn’t matter how you identify the species (sight or sound), if you’re confident that you can ID it, then record it.
• If a bird is in flight and interacting with the site (e.g. a kestrel hunting over the field you are in, swifts foraging insects overhead, a skylark in a display flight, etc.) then please record this sighting.
• If a bird is in flight but does NOT interact with the site (e.g. a skein of geese in flight, a crow that flies over the site without stopping, etc.) then please do not record this sighting.
• If you are able to capture any photographs, please do so (although not essential)
Skill level
Good bird ID skills required (both visual and aural)
Materials/equipment
Survey form
Pen/pencil/clipboard
Binoculars
Timer/stopwatch/watch
Field ID guide (optional)
Timing
All year round, at least monthly, with visits evenly spaced
Between 30 minutes after sunrise and midday
Method
• When you arrive at your survey point, choose a spot where you have the best visibility/audibility (e.g. away from dense canopy cover or loud water).
• Remain still and quiet for 5 minutes to allow the birds to settle (don’t count any birds within the initial 5 minute settling period).
• During this time, please fill in the weather data on your survey form
• After the 5 minute settling period, start counting all of the birds that you see and hear around you
• Count the birds for 20 minutes
• It’s important that 20 minutes is adhered to, so a stopwatch/timer/watch may help – counting for too long or too little will skew the results.
• Keep a tally of the number of birds you see/hear on your survey sheet
Survey forms
References
https://birdata.birdlife.org.au/survey-techniques