{"id":7523,"date":"2023-02-06T11:18:13","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T10:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.caribaea.org\/?p=7523"},"modified":"2023-03-01T15:39:33","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T14:39:33","slug":"three-complementary-methods-for-monitoring-wild-birds-results-of-the-prospoverg-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.caribaea.org\/en\/three-complementary-methods-for-monitoring-wild-birds-results-of-the-prospoverg-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Three complementary methods for monitoring wild birds: results of the PROSPOVERG project"},"content":{"rendered":"

The PROSPOVERG project came to an end, along with two years of close monitoring for the fauna of the Poyen forest, in Guadeloupe. The birds in particular were monitored using three different methods, with a triple objective: to better understand the biodiversity of this forest, to assess the effectiveness and complementarity of the different monitoring methods used, and to train students in these specific techniques.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Knowing the abundance of individuals of certain species or populations is important to define their conservation status, and to adapt management measures if necessary. Studying the demographic parameters of several species in a specific place is also useful to better understand their ecology: interactions (predation, competition), differences in lifestyle (diurnal vs nocturnal), sociability or preferences in terms of habitat.<\/p>\n

In the field, several techniques can be used. During the PROSPOVERG project, three monitoring methods were thus deployed to study birds, but also mammals in the dry forest of Poyen, in Guadeloupe: a capture-mark-recapture (CMR) technique, the set-up of camera traps, and the use of acoustic recorders.<\/p>\n

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Rings for different species of birds<\/p><\/div>\n

The first technique (CMR) consisted of installing nets to capture flying birds. Eight nets, each 24 meters long, were deployed once a month for two years, always in the same places. Each animal that was captured provided valuable information: species, size, weight, sex and stage of development. A ring was installed on birds legs, with a unique number on it to identify them upon subsequent captures.<\/p>\n

The other two methods are passive. Automatic devices were installed in the same areas as the nets, for four months. With camera traps, we obtained images of each animal that passed in front of them, as cameras automatically took pictures when detecting a movement. Acoustic recorders captured ambient sounds, including the songs of birds whose species were then identified. This time, the recording was programmed: every hour for 24 hours, the device turned on for 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

These three methods are illustrated in the following video<\/a> (French with subtitles), shot in the field, and explained by Christopher Cambrone, scientific coordinator of the project.<\/p>\n

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