Choose a  location

1. The location should be somewhere with a variety of birds

2. You can pick a location according to the bird you wish to observe

3. Ex: If you want to observe a Heron you would go to a place near water , or if you want to observe a red winged blackbird you would go near a prairie

Testing air quality

Set up air cast and connect it to the matching tablet before you get to your location

1. Turn on air beam by pressing button found on top

2. Open the aircasting app and click the three dots found in the lower right corner

3. Click setting and press external devices

4. Press connect and start recording  (figure 1)

Figure 1

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• If the tablet is too far from the air cast it will disconnect , and start blinking.  

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Choose to Observe a bird found in that location you’ve selected

• Record behavior for five minutes on ethogram

1. • Have another person look at the bird you choose (make sure they do not take their eyes off of the bird)

   • Start timer

   • Every 15 seconds you will ask the person observing the bird what the animal is doing

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Filling out Bird Ethogram

On the ethogram it is important you fill out the top portion

• Write down the bird species

-  If you are not sure what the bird species is , use the Merlin ID app or the identification book (Peterson field guide to birds of Eastern and Central North America​

The ethogram behaviors will be found on top and the time will be found on the right side

• Every 15 seconds  you will put a tally at the given time of what behavior the animal is doing

Example: If it's eating at 0:15 seconds you will add a tally mark under the eating column and the 0:15 row

 

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• Lastly you will add up the total tally marks under each behavior

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Fill out bird survey - Stationary

In the same location you did the ethogram , you will do a bird survey. The bird survey will require you to stay in that location for ten minutes and keep track of the birds you see.

 

1. 1. Fill out the top portion of the bird survey

   2. Under “bird type” enter the species of bird you notice

   3. Under “number of birds observed” place a tally mark

   4. In the “total” box to the right , write the total of that bird species

   5. In the “total” box on the bottom right corner write the total amount of species found in that location

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