Bird point counts
KEY DETAILS
- Principal Investigator
- Dr. Lucy Smyth
Date - 13 January 2025
Version - 2.0.0
Programme - Rangelands Biodiversity Project (RBP)
Study Site - Lewa-Lolldaiga-Borana-Ngare Ndare (LLBN)
Key partners - K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, Sidney Shema
Contact email - lsmyth@naturalstate.org
1. PREAMBLE
Natural State’s objectives and activities are detailed by a set of accepted Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). These documents describe the steps involved in all Natural State projects, from data collection to data processing and storage. Each SOP documents key project details and provides methodological details specific to the project. The objectives and background of the project, features of the study area, and details on survey and sampling design may be found in the project Design Document (DD) which is available in the Related Documents section below.
2. GLOSSARY
- Acoustic monitor
- a passive acoustic recording device.
- Centroid
- A point at the center of a corresponding sampling grid cell denoted by a geohash, a longitude coordinate, and a latitude. Here, the centroid of the CPP.
- Deployment
- The period of time a single remote sensor is active within the environment at a single, defined station as part of a survey.
- GEM
- Global Ecological Monitoring. A global biological research project to measure ecological processes. A 50m X 50m sampling site within which NS measures aboveground and belowground carbon stocks and rates of carbon cycling.
- Grid cell
- A geohash or other rectangular area within which one or more sensors may be deployed as semi-independent sampling units.
- LLBN
- The Lewa-Lolldaiga-Borana-Ngare Ndare landscape.
- PAM
- Passive Acoustic Monitoring, recording soundscapes (including biophony, geophony, anthrophony) via acoustic sensors.
- Project
- A concerted, data-driven effort to robustly measure variation in Biodiversity, Carbon, or Human-wellbeing in response to one or more sources of heterogeneity in a designated landscape.
- S123
- Survey123, a field-data collection app from ESRI which NS uses for recording all field observations and survey metadata.
- Sampling design
- The set of field methods employed in a survey and the manner of their use.
- Sampling protocol
- Explicit survey methodology that describes the design, effort, duration, configuration, and operation of a survey.
- Sampling site
- A distinct, discrete spatial unit defined in at least two dimensions where sampling occurs.
- Sampling station
- A point location where sampling occurs in space.
3. PROJECT OVERVIEW
3.1 PROJECT AIMS
The Bird Point Counts project aims to:
- Generate replicated abundance counts of all visually and audibly detectable bird species in the immediate vicinity of passive acoustic monitoring stations.
- Compare species richness and abundance estimates to estimates derived from passive acoustic monitoring.
3.2 PROJECT BACKGROUND
This project has been developed to produce ground truthing and calibration data to be compared to passive acoustic recordings.
3.3 STUDY AREA
The Bird Point Coints project will take place within the Lewa-Lolldaiga-Borana-Ngare Ndare (LLBN) study site, at a subset of passive acoustic monitoring stations deployed in the Rangelands Baseline Survey.
In 2025, these sites are as follows:
- All 18 GEM plots
- The 19th, new GEM plot in the plot next to the NS research centre
- The 3 non intervention carbon pool plots at Maiyanat.
- If time allows, 4 plots in community agricultural lands surrounding NS or at Kissima (exact locations TBD).
Below is the map of samplign stations planned for 2025 (not including the 19th GEM plot and the ~ 4 plots in community agricultural fields).
3.4 PROJECT TIMELINE
First iteration of point counts:
- Grid 1: 7-11 May 2023
- Grid 2: 6-11 July 2023
Planned second iteration of points counts:
- Migrants present: February 2025
- No migrants present: July or August 2025
- Migrants present: October or January or February 2026
- No migrants present: July or August 2026
4. SAMPLING PREPERATION
The equipment mentioned in the list below needs to be gathered, checked and packed before sampling begins. If any sensors need to be configured prior to commencing sampling this will be documented below the equipment list.
4.1 EQUIPMENT LIST
- Handheld GPS with extra batteries.
- 2 Audiomoths (one for using and one spare), both with a clean SanDisk Extreme 64GB SD card and fully charged batteries. These should be marked with masking tape on the outside of the case so that they can be distinguished from AudioMoths already present at the sites.
- Extra batteries and sd cards for AudioMoths.
- Fully charged mobile device for each observer with eBird and S123 installed and the BPC Survey downloaded.
- Timer (could be on mobile device).
- Additional recording devices with play back functions are useful for recording unknown calls but are not essential.
4.2 DEVICE CONFIGURATION
- eBird needs to be downloaded and logged in prior to departure to the field.
- S123 needs to be downloaded and logged in and the BPC form downloaded on the mobile device prior to departure to the field.
- AudioMoths need to be programmed according to the current Passive Acoustic Monitoring SOP (same settings - https://docs.naturalstate.tech/docs/standard-operating-procedures/01_SOP_RBP_AM.html).
5. SAMPLING PROCEDURES
Each BPC consists of one or two human observers, one bioaccoustic recorder (AudioMoth), a human data recorder for each observer, and one askari (e.g., a conservancy ranger or a NS driver). There may also be a second AudioMoth already deployed at the site. The human observers must be trained ornithologists who are experts in local bird diversity and can reliably identify local bird species both visually and audibly. If only one qualified human observer is present, then BPCs may be conducted with a single observer.
If a site already contains a bioacoustic recorder, the additional recorder brought with the observer & recorder should be placed next to the pre-existing recorder. The pre-existing recorder must be checked to ensure the proper sequence of lights indicates that it is functioning. At sites with no pre-existing recorder, the acoustic recorder brought to the field can be placed on a tree near to where the point count will take place. Each observer/recorder pair should stand ~10 m from the bioaccoustic recorder(s). If there are two observers, they should position themselves in opposite directions of each other (i.e, pairs should be ~20 m apart).
Each sampling period will run for 10 mins, and be repeated 3 times at every visit to every site. One member of the team turns on the additional recorder and must speak out the date, time, site name and point count replicate number (i.e., is it the first, second, or third ten-minute count). To begin, the recorder(s) should open eBird and start a 10 minute timer. When the 10-minute timer for the sampling period begins, each observer should begin quietly calling out to their respective recorder the species and number of individuals observed both visually within 100 m of the bioaccoustic recorder and audibly at any distance. Sightings that are more than 100 m away do not count towards the local abundance for that station and therefore should not be recorded. The recorder should record all observations at the species level (no subspecies or variants but hybrids with no clear species are acceptable, e.g., lovebirds) and number of individuals in eBird. When the timer indicates that 10 minutes have elapsed, the observer should stop calling out species and one of the field team members needs to speak into the audio moth that the count is over and then switch off the audiomoth.
The recorder should then transcribe the eBird data into S123. The askari should monitor the surrounding area for dangerous wildlife. The 10 minute point count should be repeated 3 times at each site visit, with at least 5 minute in between each count (these 5 minutes should be used for transcribing data from eBird into S123).
The number of individuals is defined as the number of confirmed distinct individuals observed during the entirety of the 10-minute sampling period. Observers should do their best to track individuals of the same species and only count additional individuals if they are reasonably confident that each additional individual is distinct from previously recorded individuals of that species.
The two observers should not share or discuss observations during the 10-minute survey period. If recorders overhear the other observer, they should not record any observations except those called out by their own observer. The two observer/recorder pairs should operate completely independently.
The recorder should not call out birds or add observations that they themselves make. The count is meant to be a single independent observer (i.e., the ornithologist).
The timer needs to be used to notify the field team when the sampling duration has been reached and it is time to move on to another station. It is important to stick to the 10 minute sampling duration.
5.1 PASSIVE ACOUSITC MONITORING
- If the site already contains an AudioMoth, check the AudioMoth to ensure it is operating (flashing red light). If the AudioMoth is not working, follow standard acoustic check procedures and record in S123. Then set up the additional device next to the pre-existing device and switch it on.
- If there is no Audiomoth at the site already, select a tree on which to place th AudioMoth that has been brought to the field and switch it on. The tree should be approximately 10m from where the observer(s) will stand.
- Standing in front of the AudioMoth(s), say in a slow clear voice the following information so that it is recorded on the Audiomoths.
- The date
- The station ID
- The survey (“bird point count”)
- The replicate (first, second or third)
- The start time
- The Audiomoth brought to the site for the point counts must be turned on immediately before the start of the count (and before announcing the sample detailes outlined in the previous bullet point) and turned off immediately after the end of the 10-minute count.
- Pre-existing Audiomoths should be left to operate uninterrupted except for standard check procedures if it is not functioning.
5.2 BIRD POINT COUNTS
- Observer/recorder pairs should position themselves and open the eBird app.
- When ready say “replicate X (1, 2 or 3)” and begin the 10 minute timer.
- Collect data in eBird until the timer goes off. When the timer goes off the additional AudioMoth brought to the field (NOT the AudioMoth already present at the plot) should be turned off. If an AudioMoth was already present at the site when you arrived it should NOT be turned off.
- The recorder should check with their respective observer about any species they weren’t sure about or any mistakes they think may have arisen.
- The two observers may then discuss any observations that they were uncertain about and correct any misidentifications. This only applies to birds they saw or heard during the 10 minute sampling period but which they could not identify. They should not add to the list any species they had not seen or heard, or any species observed outside the 10 minute sampling period.
- Transcribe eBird data into S123. If this takes less than 5 minutes then wait until 5 minutes has elapsed before starting next 10 minute point count at this site. Make sure to switch the AudioMoth that you brought to the field on before starting the next 10 minute count, and off again after the next 10 minute count. This is important because it will create a new audio file for every 10 minute point count.
- Repeat this bird point count protociol 3 times, for 10 minutes each time, at each site.
6. POST PROCESSING
This section details all steps that need to be followed after returning to the office from the field to ensure that samples are properly processed and stored and that data is uploaded and saved to the correct location.
6.1 SAMPLE PROCESSING AND STORAGE
- No samples need to be collected or stored for this project.
6.2 DATA ENTRY AND UPLOADS
- Ensure that all S123 forms are pushed to the cloud. Information for handling AudioMoth data files from pre-existing audiomoths (i.e., if a check is performed in the field) is provided in the Passive Acoustic Monitoring SOP.
- After every day of point counts the recordings from the AudioMoth specifically brought to the field and used to record during point counts need to be downloaded onto a computer and labelled according to site, date and point count replicate (i.e. GEM001_DDMMYYYY_count1, GEM001_DDMMYYYY_count2, GEM001_DDMMYYYY_count3). There will be 3 replicates per site & date combination, and 3 dates per site (so in total 9 files from each site, from 3 days). These files should be manually uploaded to the ‘BPC’ folder in the ns-ii-field-data-audio-landing storage container on Azure Cloud Storage. Each site folder should have a subfolder for each field season. Note that these files cannot be processed through Kutuma because there is no S123 metadata to accompany them.
7. RELATED DOCUMENTS
7.1 DESIGN DOCUMENT
[DD] (https://docs.naturalstate.tech/docs/design-documents/01_DD_RBP_BPC.html)
7.2 OTHER RELEVANT SOPS
[SOP_AM] (https://docs.naturalstate.tech/docs/standard-operating-procedures/01_SOP_RBP_AM.html)
7.3 DATA ELEMENTS
Survey Design
Data Collection
- [S123 data collection form - Bird Point Counts] (https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/8d532d171d9b47d18db685269f8a32a6?portalUrl=https://naturalstate.maps.arcgis.com)
- [S123 data collection form - Passive Acoustic Monitoring] (https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/8aa37ad966574b6ca0a940a8def8df41?portalUrl=https://naturalstate.maps.arcgis.com)
Data Layers
- [S123 feature layer - Bird Point Counts] (https://naturalstate.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=96a8dac6e2b24e158f9d0822b2cad3d3)
- [S123 feature layer - Passive Acoustic Monitoring] (https://naturalstate.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=55c349dd41a847beaaf8cd6c1c0ee4a1)
Dashboard
- None currently available.
8. REVISION AND VERSION HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION
- v1.0.0 Initial SOP, updated in July 2023 and moved into markdown in January 2024.
- v2.0.0 Updates to SOP in preparation for second round of point coints in January 2025.
9. APPENDICES
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