BBS RUN TYPE CODE DEFINITIONS
To maintain consistency and comparability within the BBS data set all routes are classified using
a run type code. The code reflects whether a survey, and its associated data, meet the
methodological criteria of the BBS program as outlined in the BBS instructions. For example,
the data must be collected during the appropriate season, the appropriate time of day, under
appropriate weather conditions, etc.
Routes that meet all BBS criteria are considered acceptable (i.e. run type = 1) for BBS purposes
and are used in the analyses. Routes that do not meet BBS criteria are considered unacceptable
(run type = 0) and are not used in the analyses. Although the criteria for unacceptable routes are
based on general avian activity patterns, some criteria are necessarily arbitrary since birds rarely
follow strict activity schedules. These cut-off times were chosen from a reasonable range of
values and applied consistently to ensure the comparability of the data. Other analysts of BBS
data may use different criteria for classifying acceptable data.
The quality codes along with their definitions are listed below:
| Code |
Description |
| 1 |
Acceptable data
|
| 0 |
Unacceptable data for one or more of the following reasons:
- Non-random route (900-series) or route with less than 50 permanent stops (800-series)
- Late finish of survey (> 6.5 hours to complete)
- Early start of survey (> 20 minutes before official start time)
- Late start of survey (> 30 minutes after official start time)
- Survey conducted too early or late in year
(For most of the BBS area acceptable start dates fall between 27 May and 7 July.
However, in desert and extreme southern areas the start date may be as early as 1 May,
and in Alpine areas the end data can be as late as 15 July.)
- Incomplete survey (> 10% of the route not completed)
- Poor weather: U = unacceptable, A = acceptable. See criteria below (Poor weather
may also be assigned based on observers comments regarding weather.):
1. Wind+Rain: applied separately to both the initial and final weather conditions.
|
Sky |
| Wind |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
8 |
| 0 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| 1 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| 2 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| 3 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| 4 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
U |
U |
| 5 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
U |
U |
2. Wind only: applied in combination to initial and final wind.
A. Non-prairie regions
|
Final Wind |
| Initial Wind |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
| 0 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
U |
| 1 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
U |
| 2 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
U |
| 3 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
U |
| 4 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
U |
U |
| 5 |
U |
U |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
B. Prairie regions
|
Final Wind |
| Initial Wind |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
| 0 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| 1 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| 2 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| 3 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
U |
| 4 |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
U |
| 5 |
A |
A |
A |
U |
U |
U |
|
The following geographic areas are classified as prairie regions:
A. In Canada -- Ecozone 10
B. In U.S.A. -- Physiographic Strata 7, 32-40, 53, 54, 55 & 86
|