It's that time of year again for me to enlist some new volunteers for conducting vacant Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) routes in Iowa. We currently have 6 vacant routes in need of someone willing to conduct a survey in late May or June. The vacant route names & counties are as follows:
- Rock Valley (Sioux) - Davis Corner (Howard-Chickasaw) - Hudson (Blackhawk-Bremer) - Prairiesburg (Linn-Delaware) - Lafayette (Linn-Benton) - Melrose (Wayne-Lucas-Monroe-Appanoose) Here are the main requirements for volunteers: - Ability to identify most of the bird species in the survey route area - Ability to identify most of those birds by song/call - Agree to commit to at least 3 years conducting the route (for data collection continuity) - Take short online training for survey protocols (fairly easy) Each route starts one-half hour before sunrise and is 25 miles long, with a 3-minute stop every half-mile, for a total of 50 stops. All birds seen and/or heard within a 1/4 mi. radius are recorded on a data sheet. A survey usually takes 4 to 4.5 hours to complete. Field data sheets and route maps with stop details are provided, and data may either be entered online or by mailing in the forms upon completion. Surveys may be conducted anytime from late May through June. If you might be interested in volunteering to conduct one or more of these vacant survey routes, please reply to this email as soon as possible, with your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. If I have not met you and am not familiar with your birding skills, I'll also need a short paragraph about your background and birding skills and the name of someone who can vouch for your bird ID abilities. The North American BBS is the longest running, scientifically-based, avian survey, having been conducted since 1963. This survey is incredibly important, because it is the only one that provides a good picture of bird population changes across the continent, nation, region and state. Anyone volunteering to help demonstrates concern for and commitment to bird conservation. Plus, almost everyone who has ever conducted one of these has a lot of fun, while sharpening birding skills even more. If you'd first like to learn more about the BBS, check out the the following website: *https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/index.cfm <https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/index.cfm>* Thanks for your consideration. DOUG HARR Iowa BBS State Coordinator Ogden, IA 50212 [email protected] 515-275-4818 --- This mailing list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership available on-line at http://www.iowabirds.org/iou/PayDues.aspx. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]. Unsubscribe at http://iowabirds.org/Reporting/Listserv.aspx.
