The Effect of Observer Variability on Bird Census Results Obtained by a Territory Mapping Technique

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Abstract
This study determined whether experienced ornithologists could replace each other in a census program using the territory mapping technique. The variation was studied between different observers carrying out a 10-visit mapping census in the same plot and in the same period of time. The test was repeated in 2 consecutive seasons in a plot with about 50 territorial males. The coefficient of variation for the total counts of territories was 14 and 10%, respectively, in the 2 seasons. The variation between the observers decreased with increasing sample size in good agreement with the theoretical expectation. Census data obtained from different observers were comparable if the process of species map evaluation did not introduce any additional variation.

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