Comparing Bird Survey Methodologies at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma) and TomKat Ranch

Stanford students Maya Xu and Marty Freeland surveying birds at Jasper Ridge and TomKat Ranch
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Maya Xu, Marty Freeland, Rodolfo Dirzo (Stanford)

Through a comparative methods study, researchers aim to examine the relative efficacy of three modes of bird survey and to assemble a more complete and accurate picture of the avian functional community at Jasper Ridge throughout the year.

Transect and point count surveys, conducted monthly in 6 areas of the Preserve, have been the primary mode of bird monitoring employed at Jasper Ridge since 1998-1999. However, additional technologies and techniques have become available which may prove to be valuable supplements to the existing approaches. By comparing across the following three methodologies, researchers aim to attain a more nuanced and thorough understanding of the taxonomic and functional composition of the Jasper Ridge avian community, and how it may differ from the community at TomKat Ranch, which is managed as an active farm.

  1. line transects, which have been conducted monthly across Jasper Ridge since 1998.
  2. passive acoustic monitoring, which has been successfully piloted by Trevor Hebért at Jasper Ridge and is increasingly employed elsewhere.
  3. "mob" surveys, a novel technique based on playback recordings appealing to multiple species.

Vegetation surveys including plant habit and diversity and abiotic variables including temperature and humidity are also being monitored, as they are expected to influence avian diversity and may play a role in the efficacy of each bird survey method.

The integration of mob surveys will not only introduce a potential new survey technique to integrate into regular avian monitoring at Jasper Ridge, but it presents an opportunity to introduce this technique as a viable method for other ornithologists in the field. This project provides opportunities for other Stanford students and partners in the Student Opportunities in Avian Research (SOAR) network to participate in bird surveys.

This project is funded by an AW Mellon Foundation grant for student research managed by Jasper Ridge. This work leverages ongoing transect and point count surveys and passive monitoring technology coordinated by Trevor Hebért 

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