| About
Bird Recording
What to record
What makes a record might vary between different birdwatchers
and recorders but at it's simplest level a useful record would
include the species name, date, place and number. Information
like age, sex and direction of flight will add value to the
record too.
For BirdTrack we would like you to keep a list of all the
species you see and hear each time you go out birdwatching
(a complete list). You can then enter the list on the website
and tick the box on the form to say you made a complete list
of all the birds that you recorded. Lists are valuable because
the proportion of lists with a given species provides a measure
which removes much of the effect of birdwatching effort. Swallow
data on spring arrivals recorded during the BTO/BWI Migration
Watch project provide a good example of this. Numbers of Swallow
records increased as Swallows arrived but then decreased as
recorders reduced their recording effort after the main arrival
period (graph 1). However, if we look at the proportion of
lists with Swallows (graph 2) this increased as Swallows arrived
and then levelled off, indicating that Swallows occurred at
a similar frequency throughout the breeding season.
We can make much better use of your data if you provide such
a complete list. Please note that this only needs to be a
complete list of the birds seen and heard by you, not
everything that was in the area.
 Sometimes
it may not be possible to record every species on a visit.
We would still like you to enter these partial lists onto
the website but you should not tick the box so we know that
you did not record all species present. These data are still
valuable but can be used for fewer purposes than can complete
lists.
By recording regularly throughout the year you should be
able to record arrival dates of summer visitors in spring,
last dates of summer visitors in autumn, arrival dates of
winter visitors in autumn and last dates of winter visitors
in spring. With birdwatchers recording across Britain and
Ireland we will be able to see how birds move across the country
and how the timing of arrivals and departures varies between
years.
Where possible, try to count the numbers of birds present.
Although recording the presence of a species by simply ticking
the box is adequate for many of our analyses, more accurate
counts will allow us to undertake more detailed studies in
the future. We will also be passing on records from BirdTrack
to county recorders (from those observers have given permission
only) so counts will be valuable to them. Estimates of birds
can also be included eg c150 Golden Plover (about 150 Golden
Plover) or 25+ Meadow Pipit (at least 25 Meadow Pipits and
probably more). It is most useful to count species where most
of those individuals present are visible (eg waders, ducks)
and where you cover the same areas on eeach visit to a site.
It is also useful to record numbers of the scarcer species
that you encounter. If you plan to count small passerines
we recommend that you standardise your recording methods and
route as far as possible. Projects such as the BTO/JNCC/RSPB
Breeding Bird Survey and the similar Countryside Bird Survey
in the Republic of Ireland have developed specific methods
for counting such species.
The comments box against each species can also be used to
record things such as:
- Species in unusual circumstances or exhibiting unusual
behaviour
- Evidence of breeding eg counts of occupied holes of colonial
species, nest building, feeding young, fledged young
- Numbers of different age or sex groups
- Note on unusual plumages or moult
- Anything else you want to record
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