Cracking the flock: learning how to estimate birds in large flocks

For those with an interest in monitoring birds, and particularly in monitoring shorebirds and becoming an ISS volunteer, it is important not only to know how to identify the species, but also to be prepared to count very large flocks. It might be that for many people counting birds sounds like something easy, but counting large flocks can be very daunting and sometimes even impossible. That is especially true with small species (peeps), and/or when birds are far or constantly moving. At these times, getting an exact count is as good as impossible and the solution is to learn to estimate as accurately as possible. Although many field biologists consider themselves good at estimating numbers of birds in flocks, rarely are large flocks estimated with high accuracy. Many surveyors underestimate flock size, whereas many overestimate. Accuracy usually varies with several aspects including flock size, species size, and bird color. This presentation will address difficulties in estimating bird flocks and illustrate how you can train yourself and increase accuracy of counts. It will also show how each person has their own way of estimating, and that it is important to find the way that works best for you.