Northern CA PPSR Projects 1

Colonial Waterbird Surveys

• Organization Name

  Point Blue
• Project Website

  http://www.pointblue.org/our-science-and-services/conservation-science/bays-wetlands-rivers/sacramento-sf-bay-delta/
• Organization Website

  http://www.pointblue.org/
• Partners

  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; California Department of Fish and Game; California Rice Commission
• Contact Name

  Dave Shuford
• Contact Email

  dshuford@pointblue.org
• Contact Phone

  N / A
• Other Contact Information

  N / A
• Project Purpose (taken from project materials)

  Conduct comprehensive surveys of nesting colonies of herons, egrets, night-herons, and cormorants in the southern Central Valley (San Joaquin Valley & Tulare Basin) of California. Immediate goals are to:

  1. Document the size and location of all breeding colonies 
  2. Estimate the minimum regional population size of each species
  3. Contribute to an atlas of breeding waterbird colonies by 2013 

  These surveys will also provide a baseline needed to develop a long-term monitoring program to track regional population sizes, trends, and patterns of distribution of colonial waterbirds. All of these goals are in service of the conservation of these wetland birds.

   

  Species of Interest:  Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, Double-crested Cormorant
• Participant Activities

  Participants estimate the number of breeding pairs of each species at colony sites. Generally, the best way to estimate breeding pairs is by counting all active/occupied nests. In most cases participants should be able to conduct a single survey of a multi-species colony in mid- to late May to obtain nest counts for all species. Participants also identify new colonies and record observations such as colony location, bird behavior, and weather.

• Data Entry

  • Data Sheets
• Other Participant Activities

  N / A
• System Studied

  • Birds
• Geographic Scope

  Regional
• Region

  All (see 'geographic scope')
• Location

  San Joaquin Valley and Tulare Basin including the following counties: Stanislaus, w. Tuolumne, Merced, w. Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Kings, and Tulare
• Location - Map

  N / A
• Time Commitment

  • Once a year
  • Specific dates (see Other Information below)
• Volunteer Qualifications

  Volunteers must carefully read protocol and should have binoculars or scope for accurate observation

• Volunteer Training

  Materials, including protocols & background on bird species and identification, is accessible on the project website: https://sites.google.com/site/colwatsurv/volunteer-materials

• Cost to Participant

  N / A
• How will the findings be used?

  Previous years reports are accessible on the project website and data is used to inform resource management and agricultural policy.

• Other Information

  Timing: Because of the difficulty of seeing into nests high in trees (particularly when obscured by branches or foliage), the best time to obtain an accurate count of the number of active/occupied nests is late in the cycle when large young generally are easily visible in nests and adult activity at nests is high. Although there is a fair amount of variation in the timing of nest initiation among the six target species, we judge the best time for nests counts at colonies is from mid- to late May.

• Photo

  N / A
• last update:

  9/11/12