Welcome to the protocol for conducting a digital avian point count using an autonomous recording unit or handheld recording device. In collaboration with partners from Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Breeding Bird Survey, the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, the Bioacoustic Unit, the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute and the Boreal Avian Modeling Project, this user-friendly protocol aims to establish a standard method for collecting data on avian populations in a digital format, making it accessible and easy for citizen scientists to collect and contribute to avian research and population monitoring.
- Use of autonomous recording units (ARUs) and handheld recording devices to conduct avian point counts, in collaboration with leading avian research organizations
- Standardized protocol for data collection to ensure consistency and comparability of results, following established guidelines
- Digital format for data collection, making it easily accessible and shareable among researchers from various organizations
- Citizen scientists can participate in avian research and contribute to scientific knowledge
- No prior experience or expertise required, making it user-friendly for all skill levels, with support and guidance from experts
- Select a point count protocol for conducting a digital point count
- Select a recorder model
- Prepare equipment and settings
- Conduct the point count surveys
- Adjust survey length for anthropogenic or geophonic conditions
- Upload the recordings to a central repository
- Run the speech-to-text recognizer and standardize the recordings'*'
- Upload the trimmed recordings to WildTrax'*'
- Process data
- Publish project and send data to NatureCounts'*'
'*' --- Currently supported by the ABMI
Download the digital point count cheatsheet and voice note templates for a variety of different format relative to your monitoring program needs: