How and what to record - Stephen Hartley

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.

Posted on September 16, 2015 11:31 PM by parkecology