Counting young birds: A simple tool for the determination of avian population parameters
Population parameters are usually determined from mark-recapture experiments requiring laborious field work. Here, we present a model-based approach that can be applied for the determination of avian population parameters such as average individual life expectancy, average age in the population, and...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279899 https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279899 |
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crplos:10.1371/journal.pone.0279899 2024-05-19T07:49:54+00:00 Counting young birds: A simple tool for the determination of avian population parameters Oldekop, Werner Oldekop, Gerd Vahldiek, Kai Klawonn, Frank Rinas, Ursula Pacheco, M. Andreína 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279899 https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279899 en eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ PLOS ONE volume 18, issue 2, page e0279899 ISSN 1932-6203 journal-article 2023 crplos https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279899 2024-05-01T06:59:52Z Population parameters are usually determined from mark-recapture experiments requiring laborious field work. Here, we present a model-based approach that can be applied for the determination of avian population parameters such as average individual life expectancy, average age in the population, and generation length from age-differentiated bird counts. Moreover, the method presented can also create age-specific results from lifetime averages using a deterministic exponential function for the calculation of parameters of interest such as age-dependent mortality and age distribution in the population. The major prerequisites for application of this method are that young and adult birds are easily distinguishable in the field as well as the existence of sufficiently large data sets for error minimization. Large data sets are nowadays often available through the existence of so-called “citizen science” databases. Examples for the determination of population parameters are given for long-living migratory birds which travel as families in large groups such as the Common Crane and the Whooper Swan. Other examples include long-living partially migratory birds staying together in large flocks which do not travel as families such as the Black-headed Gull, and also short-living songbirds where at least from one sex young and adult birds are easily differentiable such as the male Black Redstart. Article in Journal/Newspaper Whooper Swan Black-headed Gull PLOS PLOS ONE 18 2 e0279899 |
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Open Polar |
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PLOS |
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crplos |
language |
English |
description |
Population parameters are usually determined from mark-recapture experiments requiring laborious field work. Here, we present a model-based approach that can be applied for the determination of avian population parameters such as average individual life expectancy, average age in the population, and generation length from age-differentiated bird counts. Moreover, the method presented can also create age-specific results from lifetime averages using a deterministic exponential function for the calculation of parameters of interest such as age-dependent mortality and age distribution in the population. The major prerequisites for application of this method are that young and adult birds are easily distinguishable in the field as well as the existence of sufficiently large data sets for error minimization. Large data sets are nowadays often available through the existence of so-called “citizen science” databases. Examples for the determination of population parameters are given for long-living migratory birds which travel as families in large groups such as the Common Crane and the Whooper Swan. Other examples include long-living partially migratory birds staying together in large flocks which do not travel as families such as the Black-headed Gull, and also short-living songbirds where at least from one sex young and adult birds are easily differentiable such as the male Black Redstart. |
author2 |
Pacheco, M. Andreína |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Oldekop, Werner Oldekop, Gerd Vahldiek, Kai Klawonn, Frank Rinas, Ursula |
spellingShingle |
Oldekop, Werner Oldekop, Gerd Vahldiek, Kai Klawonn, Frank Rinas, Ursula Counting young birds: A simple tool for the determination of avian population parameters |
author_facet |
Oldekop, Werner Oldekop, Gerd Vahldiek, Kai Klawonn, Frank Rinas, Ursula |
author_sort |
Oldekop, Werner |
title |
Counting young birds: A simple tool for the determination of avian population parameters |
title_short |
Counting young birds: A simple tool for the determination of avian population parameters |
title_full |
Counting young birds: A simple tool for the determination of avian population parameters |
title_fullStr |
Counting young birds: A simple tool for the determination of avian population parameters |
title_full_unstemmed |
Counting young birds: A simple tool for the determination of avian population parameters |
title_sort |
counting young birds: a simple tool for the determination of avian population parameters |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279899 https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279899 |
genre |
Whooper Swan Black-headed Gull |
genre_facet |
Whooper Swan Black-headed Gull |
op_source |
PLOS ONE volume 18, issue 2, page e0279899 ISSN 1932-6203 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279899 |
container_title |
PLOS ONE |
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18 |
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2 |
container_start_page |
e0279899 |
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1799468472432852992 |