[birdky] FW: U.S. Nightjar Survey Network

All:
Please see Mike's message below.  KY routes are currently vacant and I'm
sure he'd be glad to have your participation.  If interested, please
contact Mike Wilson or go to the website at
www.ccb-wm.org/nightjars.htm.  Thank you.
 
Shawchyi Vorisek 
Avian Biologist/PIF Coordinator
Wildlife Diversity Program 
KY Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources 
#1 Sportsman's Lane 
Frankfort, KY  40601 
(502)564-7109 Ext. 368 
shawchyi.vorisek@xxxxxx 
www.fw.ky.gov <http://www.fw.ky.gov/>  

 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Mike Wilson <mailto:mdwils@xxxxxx>  
To: SEPART-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 2:21 PM
Subject: U.S. Nightjar Survey Network

Greetings Southeast PIF members,
 

In the spring of 2007, The Center for Conservation Biology constructed
the Nightjar Survey Network to begin the process of collecting data on
the population distribution and population trends of Nightjars across
broad regions of the United States.  The Network was initially
introduced into the southeast and is being expanded in 2008 to provide
coverage throughout the contiguous United States.

 

The support I have received from many state and federal agency personnel
in the Southeast has been great and very helpful.  I cannot thank you
all enough.   

 

I have added a brief report on findings from the initial year of survey
on the project website.  

 

The Nightjar Survey Network relies on volunteer participation by
conservation-minded citizens, biologists, and other like-minded groups
to adopt and conduct survey routes.  Surveys are conducted much like the
United States and Canada Breeding Bird Surveys except for important
modifications to accommodate the biology of Nightjars.  Nocturnal
behaviors of Nightjars are strongly influenced by moonlight.  Activities
such as calling and foraging increase under bright moonlight and
breeding may be directly tied to the lunar schedule.  The Nightjar
Survey Network was designed to take advantage of this life history trait
by restricting surveys to bright moonlit nights.  This protocol
substantially improves the accuracy and precision of surveys by reducing
the systematic errors associated with moonlight and will further act to
strengthen the statistical power needed to draw conclusions from
collected data.

 

The Nightjar Survey Network has both short-term and long-term objectives
that are considered spatially and temporally scalable.  As soon as a
significant portion of the Network routes are annually surveyed, they
will begin to provide results of Nightjar population status for local
regions and for broader geographic areas.

 

Short-term objectives have 4-5 year time horizons and include:

1)      Gaining a better understanding of the population distribution of
Nightjars across their breeding ranges. 

2)      Learning how the composition of different habitats in a
landscape influences Nightjar abundance.

3)      Improving the performance of the survey design.

 

Long-term objectives have time horizons of 10 yrs or greater and
include:

1)      Determining the scale and magnitude of population changes.

2)      Providing alarm signals at specific locations if Nightjars are
becoming imperiled.

 

I welcome any interest, comments, or suggestions, and any distribution
of the program by Southeast PIF members to the general public is
valuable.  I have also created a 2-page flyer that contains much of the
info above as advertisement of the project.  This is available for
download on the website.

 

Please fell free to email me and I hope you visit the network's website
if you haven't yet for more details: www.ccb-wm.org/nightjars.htm (older
Southeastern Nightjar Survey link is also still active).

 

Mike Wilson
Center for Conservation Biology
College of William and Mary
PO Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
phone: 757-221-1649
fax: 757-221-1650
email:mdwils@xxxxxx
www.ccb-wm.org

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