Thanks to Kenn for taking the time to post an intelligent commentary on the
need for constant survey data. The field of ornithology is indeed fortunate
to have a virtual army of skilled observers afield, continually gathering
and sharing data on birds. Because of that, we have a very good picture of
changes - good, bad, and indifferent - with our shifting avian populations.
Today, I listened to an interesting webcast presentation by Greg Butcher,
ornithologist for the National Audubon Society. The gist of it was that many
species of birds are shifting their wintering ranges northward, with global
warming as the cause. I certainly don't agree with all of their conclusions,
nor do I think that global warming is the culprit behind all of the
movements of the 305 species of birds that Greg and colleagues studied. But
the point is, they were able to draw conclusions and make statements based
on a massive body of data, unavailable to scientists that study other
disciplines of natural history.
Our knowledge of North American birds and their status, among other things,
allows conservation dollars - of which there aren't nearly enough - to be
directed to the best causes, in most cases.
I suspect that entomologists (insects), mycologists (fungi), botanists
(plants), odonatologists (dragonflies), etc. etc. are quite envious of what
we know of birds and their distribution, and wish that they had similar
information about their subjects.
As just one of myriad possible examples of the utility and value of
continuing to gather bird data, I'd refer you to the wonderful winter finch
distribution maps created and continually updated by Ethan Kistler, found
at: http://www.rarebird.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3521
Crossbills and other boreal birds are barometers of the health of North
America's sprawling boreal forests, the largest forest ecosystem on earth.
There have been large-scale and ongoing disruptions to the boreal forest,
including new insect pest infestations, spraying to control spruce budworm,
logging, and fire suppression, all of which constantly impact birds.
In Ohio, groups like the Ohio Bird Records Committee rely on constant data
streams to assess rare bird records, which often point to larger changes on
bird populations. Data generated by Ohio birders allowed that committee to
recently publish a very useful checklist of Ohio birds. More information on
the committee, its members, and the checklist, can be found here:
http://www.ohiobirds.org/records/aboutobrc.php
Finally, I encourage everyone to keep track of their observations of not
just rarities, but common birds, as trends in the latter group are even more
important than records of rarities in most cases. The Ohio Cardinal,
published by the Ohio Ornithological Society, tracks and reports on trends
in Ohio's birdlife on a seasonal basis. The editor is Andy Jones,
ornithologist for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and he is most
appreciative of any and all records that you have to offer.
Information about the Ohio Cardinal and how to contribute may be found at:
http://www.ohiobirds.org/publications/cardinal/aboutcardinal.php
Jim McCormac
Jim McCormac
Columbus, Ohio
Like nature? Visit my blog: http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/
Like birds? Join the Ohio Ornithological Society: http://www.ohiobirds.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kenn
Kaufman
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 5:55 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Ohio-birds] The value of reporting observations
To quote a recent post on this listserve:
"North American ornithology already has a lot more data than any comparable
discipline, certainly in terms of phenology and distribution, and I am
reluctant to jump on any of the many bandwagons enlisting birders to
accumulate still more. Enough is enough, and we don't need to know where
every robin is during every moment of its life these days."
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I suspect that few
ornithologists or conservation biologists would agree with that sentiment.
Certainly I can't agree with it, based on my work on bird distribution. In
compiling graphs of seasonal bird occurrence for various regions, and in
drawing and revising range maps for every North American species of bird, I
have been (A) frustrated at the major gaps in available data and (B) amazed
at how the picture is constantly changing. Bird distribution in North
America is incredibly dynamic, with ranges expanding and contracting and
shifting, populations increasing and decreasing, migration routes shifting,
timing of migration changing. Even if we knew every detail of bird
distribution today -- which we don't -- it wouldn't take away the need for
gathering data tomorrow, because we don't know how things are going to
change.
I encourage all birders to affirm the value of their observations and to
continue reporting data to the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II, the Christmas
Bird Count, e-Bird, the Breeding Bird Survey, raptor migration counts,
special one-species efforts such as the Bald Eagle and Rusty Blackbird
surveys, and other cooperative monitoring projects.
Kenn Kaufman
Oak Harbor, Ohio
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Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.
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