As a participant in the 2015 Great Kererū Count, we'd like to warmly welcome you to join us for the 2016 count.

The Great Kererū Count will take place over 10 full days from 16 to 25 September 2016. Like last year's count, it's the time for all New Zealanders to get together and do a population health check for these amazing birds. So get ready to get out and about and make your kererū count. And please spread the word.

You can join up to the 2016 NatureWatch NZ project at https://inaturalist.nz/projects/great-kereru-count-2016. Or, just start posting your kereru observations on NatureWatch NZ and our keen curators will do the rest.

It is helpful if you do join the 2016 project and add your observations from there. That way you'll get to see all the extra details that the Great Kererū Count organisers would like to know (like how long you were looking, and what the birds were doing).

The Great Kereru Count people have put together some nice detailed instructions for each of the three ways people can share their counts. The NatureWatch NZ team will also be available, as we always are, at help@inaturalist.nz.

Our colleagues at Victoria University in Wellington have been busy analysing the results of 2015's mighty kererū count. You can read about their findings in their report here (although, caution, it's not light bedtime reading). The more people get involved, and the more years the kererū count runs, the more we'll learn.

It's @jon_sullivan here from NatureWatch NZ. I've just finished uploading the big batch of casual kererū observations that were shared via the webform on the greatkererucount.nz website.

This year's count was a grand success. You can see all of the kererū observations on the map here. It's great to see New Zealand covered in kererū.

We're still hard at work cleaning up the last of the submitted data. All up, we've now got 16,222 birds counted and uploaded onto this NatureWatch NZ project. We've got another 3,418 birds counted in observations submitted to the Great Kererū Count webpage that miss some important details (like location). We're following up on those now. If we can get all those cleaned up, we'll be looking at a grand total of just under 20,000 birds (we're at 19,640 at the moment).

On behalf of the NZ Bio-Recording Network trust that operates NatureWatch NZ, I'd like to extend a big thanks to the Great Kereru Count organisers (including @parkecology, @amber_tony, @stephen_hartley), the volunteer curators on NatureWatch NZ (especially @tony_wills , @kiwifergus , @angelasimpson , @johnb-nz , and @john_barkla), and all of you. This has been the biggest kererū count yet, by far. Thanks for all of your feedback too. We've learned a lot this time that we hope will make next year's count easier and even bigger.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for contributing to the Great Kereru Count 2015!
Today we will be making public the provisional results so please check you have uploaded/synced all your observations from your apps or made a record of Kereru you saw during the week into the website online.

Remember - you can add observations to this project even when you didn't see Kereru but if you did timed surveys during the week. This helps a lot with mapping where Kereru distribution trends.

Special thanks to @jon_sullivan , @tony_wills , @kiwifergus , @angelasimpson , @johnb-nz , @john_barkla for all the curation work you have done voluntarily.

Wecome again to all new NatureWatch members - don't forget that this great system allows you record, share and learn from other members- including crowd sourcing IDs of plants, birds and other living things - enjoy!

Cheers Tim

Q1. What is the difference between a “timed survey” and a “chance observation”?
A1. In a timed survey, you decide in advance to spend between 5 and 30 minutes looking for kererū. This can be done while standing at a bus stop, walking to work, during a lunch-break or a tramp into the bush. In fact, the more varied the locations and habitats surveyed the better. Count how many kererū you see in that time period (including “zero” if you don't see any) and enter that number. A chance observation is everything else, e.g. when you see a kererū but you weren’t doing a timed survey. Timed surveys provide more informative data than chance observations, especially useful for discriminating hotspots from coldspots, so if you have the opportunity we would love it if you could do several timed surveys every day of the count! Read below for further details.

Timed surveys

Q2. Should I keep recording the same bird many times in one day?
A2. If you are making a casual observation try not to knowingly record the same bird in the same place more than once a day. If you are doing multiple timed surveys in the same place, then it is OK to report a bird more than once (but see Q3 below).

Q3. How many timed surveys should I do in the same place in the same day?
A3. We recommend a maximum of three timed surveys in the same location in any single day. If you are performing multiple timed surveys at the same location in the same day, then leave a gap of at least half an hour between repeat surveys. If you can do more than three timed surveys in one day that’s great, - but try to vary the location of timed surveys done in the same day by at least 200m.

Q4. Should I repeat the location(s) of timed surveys on successive days?
A4. Yes, this is perfectly fine. Please answer the optional questions for each timed survey you do, even if this means repeating your answers from a previous day.

Q5. How long should a timed survey be?
A5. Any time period between 5 and 30 minutes is perfect. We recommend a maximum of 30 minutes for timed surveys done while walking so that each survey can be related to a reasonably localised area. If you are out and about for a long time then multiple surveys of 30 minutes each are ideal, but time intervals greater than 30 minutes can be used when it is awkward to keep track of time.

Walking surveys

Q6. Where do I place the location pin for a timed survey done while walking?
A6. At the location where kererū were first seen, or if no kererū were seen then near the midpoint of your route.

Q7. What habitat do I record for a walk that traverses more than one habitat?
A7. Record the most common habitat in the area. If necessary provide extra detail in the comments box.

Q8. How many kererū do I record if I see two or more different groups in the same timed survey?
A8. For example, in a 20 minute timed survey performed while walking you see 4 kererū after 8 minutes and then a group of 6 kererū after 15 minutes. If you are reasonably confident that they are different groups then record the total (10), if you think it more likely that the same group was encountered twice then report the larger number (6). Please use the comments box to clarify if a total is composed of two or more groups.

Data entry

Q9. Why can't I see an interactive map to pinpoint my location?
A9. It could be a compatability issue with Internet Explorer. Try using a different browser such as Chrome or Safari.

Q10. Why does the map show me existing records, but not let me add my own observation?
A10. Most likely you are on the project homepage of the Great Kererū Count within NatureWatch NZ. This displays statistics about the observations already entered. To add your own observation via the data entry page press the orange button/banner towards the top-right that says "Add Observations".

Thank you for your participation!

From the team at Great Kererū Count.

Welcome to the Great Kereru Count 2015!

When making observations, three things are required to add your observations to the project: the species needs to be confirmed as Kereru ( you will see a wee Kereru photo or blue bird symbol when you do this), location, and number of Kereru seen.

While optional, the other questions provide us with important information to understand Kereru ecology. Timed surveys are the most useful (5-30min) and if you don't see any if you go looking just enter a 0 - this also helps us know where Kereru don't occur!

Thanks and happy spotting!

Welcome to the Great Kereru Count 2015 project - an especially warm welcome to new NatureWatchNZ/iNaturalist members.

Its great to see so many new members joining in the lead up to the event. NatureWatchNZ is a place where you can share what you see in nature, meet other nature watchers, and learn about New Zealand animals, plants, and fungi.

We are really looking forward to seeing all your kereru observations roll in tomorrow and the rest of the week. This week has been especially chosen as its when kereru start nesting and showing off!

Smart phone users will find it easiest to use the iNaturalist app to share photos and make multiple observations - there are custom settings for NZ NatureWatch members in both the iOS and Android apps.

If you are on Facebook join the event https://www.facebook.com/events/1638564513084853/ and we would love it if you could invite your friends too.

Happy counting.

The more people who take part and submit their observations, the more accurate our understanding of kererū distribution will become. This year we have redesigned the website and survey questions to collect information on habitat, kererū behaviour and personal perceptions of kererū abundance.

Another innovation is that we are using a system called NatureWatch NZ to collect and store the information in a publically accessible format. NatureWatch NZ allows registered users to record any natural history observation of interest, upload photos, request help in identification, find out where other people have seen a particular species as well as track their own observations – the ultimate online scrapbook and record-keeper!

There are two types of observation people can submit to the Great Kererū Count. The first is called a casual record - simply log your position online or use the NatureWatch NZ app whenever you happen across a kererū. This provides evidence of kererū presence, but it is not very good at telling us where kererū are rare or absent. That’s why we are also encouraging people to submit records using the second method called a timed survey. In a timed survey, you decide in advance to spend between 5 and 30 minutes looking for kererū. This can be done while standing at a bus stop, walking to work, during a lunch-break or a tramp into the bush. In fact, the more varied the locations and habitats surveyed the better. Count how many kererū you see in that time period (including “zero” if you don't see any) and enter that number just like you would for the casual observation, remembering to tell us where you searched and for how long. If you are going for a two-hour walk then you can split your observations into four consecutive intervals of half an hour, submitting a separate number for each. In the final analysis, the proportion of timed surveys that record “zero” compared to non-zero numbers will give us a much more accurate picture of relative abundance across the country as well as enabling us to detect changes over time. Like any good scientific survey, the important part is to tell us even when you didn't see any kererū!

So why are we interested in kererū numbers? Quite aside from their natural beauty, kererū are indicators of a healthy forest: their nests are more successful where mammalian predators are low, and where there is a high diversity of native plants to provide year-round food. In return, they support the natural regeneration of forests by dispersing seeds away from the parent tree.

The Great Kererū Count is about to take flight, with New Zealanders across the country being asked to keep their eyes on the skies to help scientists build up a comprehensive picture of where our native pigeon is – and isn’t - found.
The annual count runs from Saturday 19 Sept until Sunday 27 Sept.

Kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) are known as the “gardeners of the skies” as they play a crucial role in dispersing the large fruit of our native trees such as tawa, taraire and matai. No other bird is large enough to fulfil this function, making the species essential for forest regeneration.

The information collected from this nationwide citizen science project will be used by conservationists to better protect kererū and to help save our native forests.
Tony Stoddard, WWF’s Kererū Count Coordinator, is encouraging everyone to take part: “We are asking people to become citizen scientists by counting the kererū in your backyard, school, park or reserve over the next week. They are distinctive looking birds; their large size and bright white, green and purple plumage make them easy to spot perched in tree tops or on power lines.
“Whether you see any kererū or not, sharing your observations with us will help build up a clearer picture of where the birds live, how many there are and what they eat.”

Public observations can be recorded on the website www.greatkererucount.nz . The data will also be collected and stored on the NatureWatch NZ platform.

Stephen Hartley, Senior Lecturer in Ecology from Victoria University of Wellington, explains the scientific significance of the project: “Are kererū becoming rarer or more common? This is the central question we are looking to answer from the data we gather during these annual counts.

“This year we are especially keen for people to make timed observations of between 5 and 30 minutes – and then tell us even if they don’t see a kereru. This can be done while waiting at a bus-stop or going for a walk in the park. The data from these timed surveys will really improve the accuracy of our nationwide comparisons and our ability to detect trends over time.

“Given the ecological importance of kererū, this information is critical not just for protecting this species, but for ensuring the vitality of our forest ecosystems for future generations.”

The Great Kererū Count is a partnership between Forest & Bird and WWF-New Zealand. It is supported by Kiwi Conservation Club (KCC), Kererū Discovery, Wellington City Council, Victoria University of Wellington, Wildlands Consultants and NatureWatch NZ.

• Kererū are also known as kūkū / kūkupa/ kokopa / New Zealand pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) and the parea / Chatham Islands pigeon (Hemiphaga chathamensis).
• The count has been going since 2011.
• In 2014, 14,000 kererū were counted by more than 7,000 participants.
• The Great Kererū Count observations can also be made via the iNaturalist app for android and iPhones. It is available to download free from www.greatkererucount.nz

When the count starts on Saturday, it would make a real difference if you are able to complete timed surveys in areas you know kererū are and aren’t – this means checking out an area for a specific number of minutes (between 5min and 30min is good). It helps us to know if you have visited an area looking for kererū but didn’t actually find them.

There are a few basic questions that we would like you to answer to improve the information we have on kererū – if you are curious to see what we want to ask – find out by clicking "add observation" on the Great Kererū Count 2015 project page, but remember the count doesn’t start until Saturday 19 September - so please don't actually add any until Saturday!

Any observations added to the project before Saturday and after the count finishes will be removed from the project but will remain on NatureWatch.

Don't forget to tell your friends and family all about the Great Kererū Count 2015.
Send them the website details http://greatkererucount.nz/ or Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/Kereru-Discovery-492100707593114/timeline/