Breeding shorebird observation data including degree of oiling for shorebirds in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas, 2010-2011

• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative 2017
• Subjects: degree of oiling; breeding shorebirds; beach nesting birds; American Oystercatcher; Black Skimmer; Caspian Tern; Common Tern; Forster's Tern; Gull-billed Tern; Laughing Gull; Least Tern; Piping Plover; Reddish Egret; Royal Tern; Sandwich Tern; Snowy Plover; Willet; Wilson's Plover; Texas; Louisiana; Mississippi; Alabama; (Bon Secour) Little Dauphin Island, AL; (MRGO) Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, LA; Bangs Island, MS; Barton Island Peninsula, AL; Bay Chaland, LA; Bayou Von Thunder, LA; Biloxi Marsh, MS; Bolivar Flats, TX; Bolivar Peninsula - Gulf Side, TX; Bolivar Peninsula Bayside, TX; Bon Secour Purdue Unit , AL; Cat Island , LA; Chandeleur Islands, LA; Chenier Au Tigre, LA; East Fourchon, LA; Ship Island , MS; Timbalier Island, LA; Elmers Island, LA; Freshwater Bayou, LA; Grand Isle, LA; Grand Isle State Park, LA; Grand Terre Island, LA; Gulf State Park, AL; Holly Beach , LA; Horn Island - GUIS, MS; Isle Aux Herbes, AL; McFadden National Widlife Refuge, TX; Mermentau , LA; North Pass, LA; Pelican Island, AL; Petit Bois , MS; Point Au Fer, LA; Point Aux Chenes, MS; Queen Bess Island, LA; Raccoon Island, LA; Rainey Wildlife Refuge, MS; Riverside Bay , LA; Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, LA; Round Island, LA; Rutherford Beach , LA; Sand Island - GUIS, AL; Sea Rim State Park, TX; Shell Island, FL; Singing River Island, MS; Southeast Pass , LA; Southwest Pass, LA; Texas Point NWR, TX; Venice , LA; West Belle Pass, LA; West Dauphin Island , AL; Dauphin Island , AL; West Ship Island - GUIS, MS; Whiskey Island, LA; Tigre; Barton; Shell Island; Pelican Island; Round Island; Bayside; Cat Island; Ship Island; Dauphin Island; North Pass; Common tern
• Online Access: https://search.dataone.org/view/BP-x750-000-0019-002

This report contains breeding shorebird observation data, and provides additional context for the posted dataset, including information about the collection, analysis, and organization of the data. Characteristics of this dataset include the following: • The breeding shorebird data focus primarily on Wilson’s plovers, snowy plovers, and American oystercatchers, as well as other breeding shorebirds in the project area. • This dataset includes data initially collected independently by Trustees. • Before posting, extensive work was done independently by BP contractors to verify some aspects of the posted data (e.g., positional coordinates and field data). Data were collected by shore-based observers working in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas in the summer of 2010 and again in the summer of 2011. The data were collected independently by the Trustees under the work plan titled Gulf Coast Breeding, Beach-Nesting Bird Populations in Areas Impacted by the BP Deepwater Horizon / Mississippi Canyon 252 Oil Spill: Bird Study No. 8, including the associated 2011 addendum. This dataset includes data associated with breeding shorebird site conditions, live bird counts, and assessments to categorize the degree of visible oil on live birds. Each observed bird was categorized as not visibly oiled or as having trace (≤5 percent), light (6 to 20 percent), moderate (21 to 40 percent), or heavy (>40 percent) oiling. Photographs of birds were taken where possible. The methods used to collect live bird visible oiling data were similar to those that guided the collection of data associated with the Live Bird Oiling Data Publication Summary Report (Reference No. B-01v01-02). Sampling variations may exist across observers, methods, locations, and times.