Bird Census Techniques, Second Edition [Hardcover]

Colin J. Bibby (Author), Neil D. Burgess (Author), David A. Hill (Author), Simon Mustoe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 29, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0120958317 | ISBN-13: 978-0120958313 | Edition: 2

In this book there are entire chapters devoted to the most widely used bird counting techniques, and attempts to amalgamate other counting methodologies into major groups were made. Examples of the use of methods are provided wherever possible and the relative value of various approaches for answering specific questions is also addressed.

Key Features
* A newly revised edition of the immensely successful Bird Census Techniques
* An entirely new chapter covering the census methods recommended for tropical habitats
* Provides a concise guide to various census techniques and their opportunities and pitfalls

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It provides a concise guide to the most widely used census techniques, with detailed description of methodologies and discussion of the advantages and shortcomings association with each method. The guide is well illustrated with explanatory diagrams and is referenced to the scientific literature on the subject...An essential reference for anyone engaged in bird census studies."
- NORTHEASTERN NATURALIST

"This guide to the various techniques used to count wild birds is relevant to ornithological field researchers, both amateur and professional, and ecologists and conservation biologists undergoing census studies of wild bird populations. The advantages, limitations and applications of each technique are discussed in detail."
-ETHOLOGY (January 2002)

"...an important and substantial update of an extremely valuable book. It is a 'must' for any bird-surveyors, volunteer and professional alike, who do not have the first edition--and probably also for those of you who do have."
-Juliet Vickery in BRITISH BIRDS (July 2001)

From the Back Cover

Wild birds are counted for a wide variety of reasons and by a bewildering array of methods. However, detailed descriptions of the techniques used and the rationale adopted are scattered in the literature, and the newcomer to bird census work or the experienced bird counter in search of a wider view, may well have difficulty in coming to grips with the subject as a whole. While not an end in itself, numerical and distributional census work is a fundamental part of many scientific and conservation studies, and one in which the application of given standards is vital if results are not to be distorted or applied in a misleading way.
This book provides a concise guide to the various census techniques and to the opportunities and pitfalls which each entails. The common methods are described in detail, and illustrated through an abundance of diagrams showing examples of actual and theoretical census studies. Anyone planning a census of birds in the wild should be able to select the method best suited to the study in hand, and to apply it to best effect within the limits inherent in it and the constraints of the particular study.
The first edition was immensely successful in setting the standard for sound bird census work in the 1990's. Here, four authors, each with their own relevant experience, have pooled their knowledge to produce this extensively revised second edition of Bird Census Techniques. An entirely new chapter covers the census methods recommended for tropical habitats with inhospitable field conditions and many species of birds, and all other chapters are updated to take account of recent developments in the field, in particular links between bird census studies and Environmental Impact Assessments.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 302 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 2 edition (August 29, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0120958317
• ISBN-13: 978-0120958313
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #757,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bird Census Techniques: a review, February 23, 2006

By 

CW (Honolulu, HI, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bird Census Techniques, Second Edition (Hardcover)

This is an extremely useful guide to anyone thinking about doing a serious bird count. I myself have counted birds on many habitats and for many reasons, and I had to review a large number of papers before adopting a counting method. Now, with this book in hand, all essential techniques of counting birds, whether in the tropics or temperate regions, are within minutes reach! I found this title highly useful for my bird census studies. It is a highly practical work. I recommend it for anyone who counts birds, whether for serious scientific work or just as a simple hobby.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Standard reference, June 21, 2010

By 

Stephen T (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bird Census Techniques, Second Edition (Hardcover)

This book is probably the standard reference for bird census techniques. It's the first that I consult when planning a field study, with good summaries of the pros and cons of different methods. I feel that some of the recommendations are more relevant to summer breeding censuses in the northern hemisphere, however, where forest passerines are strongly territorial and density is a meaningful concept.

The binding is poor, made in England. It's a rather compact book and costs a considerable sum of money, but Bird Census Techniques is a reference that any serious field ornithologist must have.

Stephen.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction, June 18, 2008

By 

B. Mckinlay - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bird Census Techniques, Second Edition (Hardcover)

This book has a very good step by step approach to determining different ways in which to count birds. Each chapter closes with a good list of the pros and cons of different types of sampling. Very useful

Bruce