The main field methods that the bird team employs under the leadership of our experienced bird research coordinators, include mist-netting in combination with banding or ringing (largely for forest understorey and cryptic species), point count surveys (largely for canopy and flocking species), and camera trap arrays (largely for ground-dwelling species). Each week, between 3-6 days are dedicated to mist nets, 1-3 days to point counts, and 5-7 days to automated camera trap survey techniques. With respect to mist-netting, at each field site we have identified and marked 12-24 sample stations, each separated on average by 200 m, and on each sample day we use 9-12 nets (each 12 m long, 2.5 m high) erected in groups of three. Sampling takes place from dawn for a period of approximately 4 hours, followed by data review (error corrections if required), and potentially dismantling nets and erecting them at the next set of stations. Caught birds are processed quickly, including ringing or banding, recording morphological characteristics, and assessing moult patterns to help age individuals. Birds are released close to the point of capture. When it comes to point count surveys, these are undertaken at 12-24 stations per site during the first 2-4 hours after dawn and for a period of 10 minutes each. Radial distances to birds recorded visually and via auditory cues are estimated and used to calculate species-specific densities using the program Distance. Depending on the field site, some point count stations are located in very open areas (usually river banks) and are used for counting flocking bird species such as parrots, macaws, oropendolas, and caciques as they fly to and from roosting sites. The camera trap arrays consist of 10-20 cameras per site, each separated from each other by at least 200 m. These record terrestrial birds, such as tinamous, ant-pittas, rails, among other species. These camera trap arrays are generally monitored and maintained by the mammal team, however the bird teams assist by checking battery and memory cards and collecting and analyzing records of birds collected by these traps. Again the data is used to assess diversity and relative abundance of species using standard analytical protocols, as well as occupancy modelling to predict species distributions and habitat suitability. Data analysis and visualisation programs that we use include R, SPSS, Distance, Mark, Estimates, Camera Base, and QGIS.

A Typical Day on the Bird Team

Bird research days are generally split into morning and afternoon sampling sessions. The team, which is led by a research coordinator or two, tries to complete two sessions each day (weather permitting) for a total of around 7 hrs of active field time and data input per day. On most morning sessions, the team gets up early (4.30 am) for breakfast, before setting off by foot to the first sample station. Sampling begins around 5:30 am no matter whether the method is mist netting or point counts. On returning to the field station after 4 hours of fieldwork, the team will input and review the data collected, including inputting photos of moult limits identified on each bird captured. Lunch is served at 1 pm, after which team members can relax for a couple of hours. At 3:00 pm, the late afternoon session begins, which can consist of either mist net lane cleaning and erecting mist nets, preparing point count stations for future counts, setting up or taking down camera traps, or collecting habitat data in and around sample stations using 0.05-ha Modified Gentry plots. The team is often back at base camp by 5:30 pm. Occasionally (once every two weeks) the team will go out at night (Sometime between 6 pm to 11 pm) to record presence/absence information on owl, potoo and other largely nocturnal bird species. Daily schedules are subject to change at the discretion of the team coordinators and depending on current projects and weather.