What
is an avian point count? Point
counts are one of several methods used to inventory and monitor bird
populations. A point count is a tally of all birds detected by sight
and sound by a single observer located at a fixed position during
a specified period of time (i.e., 3 min.). Counts are usually conducted
in the morning, typically during the breeding season when birds are
most vocal and territorial. Counts must also be conducted under suitable
weather conditions which typically means winds < 12 mph and no
rain.
There are many variations to the point count methodology; however,
for the purposes of our discussion we will be focusing on the point
count method used by the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS)
program. |