Project Overview - Guidelines

Most of the UtahBBA web site is available for everyone to browse. Those wishing to participate as volunteers are requested to register following the procedure defined below. The following information is available without registering: (note that this duplicates the site menu structure)

• Volunteer Handbook - General information about the Utah BBA, how to volunteer, and what is expected -here-.
• Utah Habitats defined -here-.
• Bird behaviors defined -here-.
• Utah birds by habitat query -here-.
• Volunteer qualifications suggestions -here-.
• Survey Forms -here-.
• Sample Points -here-.
• USGS Quad Maps covering Utah -here-.
• Squares selected for surveying -here-.
• Map showing selected squares -here-.
• Casual sighting form - front -here-.
• Casual sighting form - back -here-.

Several things are reserved for registered volunteers, including:

• Selecting a square to survey
• Recording sightings for a square
• Reviewing sighting information for a square
• Reports from the sighting database

Birders wishing to volunteer for the Utah Breeding Bird Atlas project must register and obtain an account. This can be done on the New Volunteer page. When entering the information, please select an easy to remember Volunteer ID and Password, then record them in a secure place.

The next step is to print and sign a release form (available from the Volunteer Helps page) and mail it to the address on the form. Survey squares will not be assigned until a signed release form is delivered to the Utah BBA Chairman.

Volunteers may select a square to survey, and 'reserve' it for themselves by sending an email requesting the square by name (or number) to UtahBBA@utahnature.com. No more than 2 squares should be reserved at a time.

Volunteers should print the topographic map showing the square boundaries, or purchase the USGS Topographic Quadrangle map that contains the survey square. Since it is sometimes difficult to determine one's exact location with a map, a handheld GPS device is recommended.

If the square chosen contains private land making proper surveying difficult, permission must be obtained before entering the land. If permission cannot be obtained, surveying the square must be deferred and the coordinator notified.

Volunteers may wish to visit the square early in the year, before the start of the breeding season to get a feeling for the lay of the land and to discover what habitats are included. Based on the habitats in the square, volunteers should determine what birds can be expected to nest there. The web site has a look-up facility that can display breeding birds by habitat.

Volunteers should visit their square 4 to 6 times during the breeding season taking care to visit different places in each habitat on each visit. The visits should be early, mid and late in the breeding season to find the early and late breeders. One way to tell if the square has been visited enough is that no new species are found on the last visit.

Squares should be visited early in the morning when the birds are most active. Since most of the squares are away from population centers, volunteers should not visit the squares alone, and should make proper preparations, informing a responsible person of their expected itinerary and return time.

When surveying the square, a new survey form should be filled out for each location birded. Do not try to conserve space by crowding observations together. Spend time with every species found, observing the behavior. Note the behavior observed that provides the highest indication of breeding.

The survey points proposed for each square are selected when the square is assigned using the topographic and habitat maps and may not be appropriate for the square. You may establish your own survey points based on habitat and accessability is needed. Since some species are very sensitive to human encroachment, select several survey points away from roads and other busy areas. The goal is to find all the species in the square and verify their breeding status.

Some species are very sensitive to human visitors and will abandon nests if bothered. If you suspect you have found one of these species, make your observations from a distance, and leave the area as soon as possible. Do not let your observations harm the bird.

Following each survey trip, volunteers should enter their sighting data onto the survey database at the web site. (Please note that until funding is obtained, volunteers are requested to enter their own sighting data, if possible. Optionally, but discouraged, copies of the sighting forms may be sent in to be entered by others.) This should be done as soon after the survey as possible, while the trip is fresh in mind. When recording the sightings, information will be entered for each visit to the square, followed by information for each observation point, then detail information about each bird observed at the location. The location information is much more precise if a GPS is used. Latitude and longitude information can be obtained from mapping programs such as Delorme or National Geographic, or by going to www.mapquest.com on the Internet. Breeding bird sightings made outside of a volunteer's assigned square should be recorded using the 'Casual sighting' form on the web page.

Note: This summary duplicates information found in the Volunteer Handbook.