RMBO Blog

Exciting news in the Science Division at RMBO! Our biometricians, Jennifer Blakesley and David Pavlacky, have figured out a new way to analyze point-count data (that’s information collected by trained observers who stand at a fixed point and record everything they hear and see, according to the protocols of the survey; counts are made regularly so that, over time, changes can be detected). The problem was that we did not have sufficient data to estimate density on rare species and species of special concern, so instead we were estimating detection probability and the proportion of sites occupied. The existing standard statistical application for point-count data was giving us biased estimates. The new application Jennifer and David developed (in collaboration with Gary White of Colorado State University and Paul Lukacs of the Colorado Division of Wildlife) includes multi-scale occupancy and a removal estimator for detection that solves the problem. We’re looking forward to having more accurate estimates for these species of concern.
And in the International Division, staff are gearing up for the upcoming field-work season on the Mexican Plateau. Seasonal field technicians will receive training in early January, then begin work on monitoring projects and a research project to determine overwinter survival rates of grassland birds in the Chihuahuan Desert. This project involves outfitting Vesper Sparrows with radio transmitters and monitoring their movement and survival. The project will include areas that are under varying land-management regimes. It will help us understand how birds use this winter habitat and what factors contribute to winter habitat quality and overwinter survival. RMBO will use the results to guide its education and outreach efforts. And, when published, the results can be used to develop effective conservation strategies for these grasslands. RMBO’s partners in this endeavor are The National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy and The Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon.