|
 
| ||
|
Taking data on Kolea Migration Most Kolea are territorial in Hawai'i -- each bird has a certain place it calls its own, and it keeps all other Kolea out. This makes them easy to count. Find a place with at least one kolea, and pick a time that is easy for you to go out and count them. Then write down how many you see each day. It is very important to write down a 0 when you see zero birds. If you skip a day, do not write zero -- just put a dash or other symbol to show you didn't look that day. In the online database, don't enter any data for days you skip. Don't worry if you miss a day -- but try to check every day around April 25th! No need to watch the birds for long, just get a count. When should we start counting Kolea? I suggest two weeks before you think they will leave. Why? Let's say you don't see any on April 24. Are they really gone? During the two weeks before the 24th, what if you only saw them there only half of the time -- or what if you saw them every day? Which situation gives you more confidence that they are really gone? Use the pre-departure to help you interpret your data. So, when will they leave? Probably the end of April on the main islands of Hawai'i. You are welcome to input data for any time of the year! How do we know when to stop counting? Zeros are data too! Stop when you see zero birds for some days. How many? Decide for yourself when you are confident they are gone. What if you see zero birds for 3 days starting April 26th? What if you see zero birds for 8 days starting on April 1? Use your best judgment, but definitely keep going for more than a single zero-bird day. Other observations If you can watch the birds for more than a moment to count them, you will see lots of interesting behavior. How many times per minute do they peck? Do they peck less or more when other birds are around? Do they peck more in April when they are fattening up for migration? Can you see any kind of aggression? Watch long enough in places with more than one bird, and you may see a fight. Bird safety Kolea are tolerant of people, but they do get disturbed if they feel someone is close to them and watching them. Try to avoid scaring birds off their territories. If you only check once per day, it will not hurt them if they sometimes get startled -- they will come right back soon after. If you are watching them for long periods of time, make sure that you do not keep startling the same bird repeatedly. If that seems to be happening, move off or pick another bird to watch. Do not to disturb any one bird more than twice in a day -- after two times, leave the bird alone for the rest of the day. This is an important part of the study plan, and federal regulations require that we follow this plan. If you find an injured Kolea, contact the Hawaii Audubon Society at hiaudsoc@pixi.com or call Sea Life Park. The most important thing you can do for Kolea is to use less pesticide, which is not good for them (or for children or other living things). They eat thousands of bugs a week -- they can be your pesticide! Punchbowl National Cemetery of the Pacific recently got a national efficiency award for the money they saved by reducing pesticide use -- thanks to all the years of research by Wally and Patricia Johnson and Phil and Andrea Bruner! |