TORTUGUERO BIRD MONITORING STATION PROTOCOL for The Tortuguero Integrated Bird Monitoring Program C. John Ralph, Margaret Widdowson, Bud Widdowson, Brian O’Donnell, and Robert I. Frey Draft 4 January 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS MONITORING SITES .................................................................................................................................1 Materials and Supplies.....................................................................................................................2 Banding kits ........................................................................................................................2 Bird bags.............................................................................................................................2 Net Repairs .........................................................................................................................2 Moisture-Sensitive and Expensive Equipment ...................................................................2 SITE PREPARATION..................................................................................................................................3 Establishing net sites........................................................................................................................3 Preparation of poles and support rope ................................................................................3 OPERATIONS..............................................................................................................................................4 Mist Netting / Banding.....................................................................................................................4 Net set up and take down....................................................................................................4 Site specific information.....................................................................................................5 Scheduling of Monitoring Sites ..........................................................................................7 Start time and net rounds ....................................................................................................8 Efficient Banding Station Set Up........................................................................................8 Processing ........................................................................................................................................9 Importance of age ...............................................................................................................9 Recording How Aged and How Sexed .............................................................................10 Priority of data ..................................................................................................................10 Recording data ..................................................................................................................10 Recording Notes ...............................................................................................................11 Recording Molt.................................................................................................................12 Empidonax flycatchers......................................................................................................12 Hummingbirds ...............................................................................................................................12 Manufacturing the Bands..................................................................................................13 Applying the Band............................................................................................................13 Processing.........................................................................................................................14 Delicacy of Hummingbirds and the Tools Used...............................................................14 Rare birds.......................................................................................................................................15 Photographs ...................................................................................................................................15 Safety (of the birds and you)..........................................................................................................16 Special reminders...........................................................................................................................16 Use of personnel ...............................................................................................................16 Instructions for special situations......................................................................................17 Visitors.................................................................................................................17 Interruption by rain..............................................................................................17 High winds...........................................................................................................18 How to handle waves of birds..............................................................................18 Recording minimal data.......................................................................................19 Migration Counts ...........................................................................................................................19 Area Search census ........................................................................................................................20 COMPLETING FORMS & DATA MANAGEMENT ..............................................................................21 Daily Journal Form ........................................................................................................................21 Banding Data Form........................................................................................................................22 Area Search Form ..........................................................................................................................22 Migration Count Form...................................................................................................................23 Data Tracking ................................................................................................................................23 CHECKING DATA....................................................................................................................................23 CONDUCT .................................................................................................................................................23 MAKING PROTOCOL CHANGES ..........................................................................................................25 CONTACT PEOPLE..................................................................................................................................25 LIST OF APPENDICES.............................................................................................................................27 TORTUGUERO BIRD MONITORING STATION PROTOCOL for The Tortuguero Integrated Bird Monitoring Program By C. John Ralph, Margaret Widdowson, Bud Widdowson, Brian O'Donnell, and Robert I. Frey We welcome you to the bird monitoring project at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. This is a cooperative effort, involving many partners, cooperators, and volunteers. Keep in mind that everyone is contributing their best to this effort, and that we will all try to help you in any way possible. Most of all, have fun, and enjoy the birds as they reveal themselves to you in this pioneering effort! Please note that the bird monitoring effort is strictly at the invitation of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation people. They generously provide you with room and board during your stay, and every effort must be made to accommodate their personnel and to assist them in their daily operations. Please volunteer to help whenever possible. Don't act like a pampered guest, act as a partner, helping out on all tasks. Take a few minutes after using the lab to sweep up, keep your living space clean, and help every day for at least 15 - 20 minutes to keep the common areas tidy, including the bathrooms. Offer to assist with turtle surveys at least once a week or more. Help out in the Museum whenever needed. Please read and respect the enclosed guidelines on conduct (page 21). If we are viewed as a positive force, and not a time sink, it is far more likely the program will be successful. Most of all.... be sure and enjoy yourself. You are in a spectacular place doing important work! MONITORING SITES Currently, we are operating five primary sites in both primary and secondary forest habitat. While the CCC site is our flagship, operated the most often, the other sites contribute a great deal to our understanding of the birds of the area. For each site, we have a map showing net locations, migration count location, landmarks, etc. (Appendix A). Visitors, both local resident and tourists, will be encountered at all of the sites, and regularly at a few. Please take advantage of these opportunities to explain what you are doing, conservation issues concerning the birds of the region (especially the migrants), and most of all, share the birds with these visitors. You may make a lasting and meaningful impact. Remember