1. GIS Tools for Evaluating the Importance of Areas to Birds and the Thoroughness of Observation Coverage
Title
Bill Ostrander
MGIS Peer Review
September 20, 2011

2. GIS Tools for Evaluating the Importance of Areas to Birds
and the Thoroughness of Observation Coverage
Introduction – the problem
The Natural Heritage Program Approach
The Important Bird Area Program
Methods
Acquiring data
Mapping the bird observation areas
Running the tools
Valuable Literature
Acknowledgements

3. Introduction

4. The Important Bird Area Program
A Program of BirdLife International
Hold significant numbers of one or more globally threatened species
Are one of a set of sites that together hold a suite of restricted-range species or biome-restricted species
Have exceptionally large numbers of migratory or congregatory species
Introduction

5. Introduction

6. Acquiring Data

7. Acquiring Data

8.
Acquiring Data

9. Mapping BOAs

10. Mapping BOAs

11. Mapping BOAs

12. Mapping BOAs

13. Mapping BOAs

14. Running
the Tools

15. Running
the Tools

16. Running
the Tools

17. Running
the Tools

18. Running
the Tools

19. Thoroughness of Observation Coverage
Example Calculations
At Risk Species
Common Loon (Gavia immer) [COLO]
Migration Season IBA Threshold = 60
Maximum seen in Bird Observation Area = 3
Portion of BOA in Area of Interest = 0.25
Springs that COLO observed in BOA = 4
Springs that BOA was visited = 8
Importance of the Area of Interest to Migrating Common Loons in Spring =
3/60 * 0.25 * 4/8 =
Thoroughness of Observation Coverage
Time to conduct a point count = 5 minutes
Time to travel 250 meters = 3 minutes
Duration of Visit to Bird Observation Area = 60 minutes
Point Count Equivalent (PCE) = 60/(5+3)
Distance in which 95% of birds are counted = 125 meters
Portion of BOA that is Thoroughly Covered = (PCE*3.14*(125m)2)/Area of BOA
Running
the Tools

20. Most Valuable Literature
Burger, M.F. and J.M. Liner, Important Bird Areas of New York: Habitats Worth Protecting (2nd ed.), Audubon New York, Albany, New York, 352 p.
Ralph, C. J., J.R. Sauer, and S. Droege, Managing and Monitoring Birds Using Point Counts: Standards and Applications, Monitoring Bird Populations by Point Counts, Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-149, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Albany, California, pp
Literature

21. Acknowledgements Joseph Bishop
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Tioga County, New York
Acknowledgements