Bird Census Techniques. 2nd Edition

Wild birds are counted for a wide variety of reasons and by a bewildering range of methods. However, detailed descriptions of the techniques used and the rationale adopted are scattered in the literature, and the newcomer to bird census or the experienced bird counter in search of a wider view, may well have difficulty in coming to grips with the subject as a whole. While not an end in itself, numerical and distributional census work is a fundamental part of many scientific and conservation studies, and one in which the application of given standards is vital if results are not to be distorted or applied in a misleading way. This book provides a concise guide to the various census techniques and to the opportunities and pitfalls which each entails. The common methods are described in details, and illustrated through an abundance of diagrams showing examples of actual and theoretical census studies. Anyone planning a census of birds in the wild should be able to select the method best suited to the study in hand, and apply it to best effect within the limits inherent in it and the constraints of the particular study. The first edition was immensely successful in setting the standard for sound bird census work in the 1990's. Here four authors, each with their own relevant experience, have pooled their knowledge to produce this extensively revised second edition of Bird Census Techniques. An entirely new chapter covers the census methods recommended for tropical habitats with inhospitable field conditions and many species of birds, and all other chapters are updated to take account of recent developments in the field, in particular links between bird census studies and Environmental Impact Assessments.