Recommendations for the use of mist nets for inventory and monitoring of bird populations

Abstract

We provide recommendations on the best practices for mist netting for the purposes of monitoring population parameters such as abundance and demography. Studies should be carefully thought out before nets are set up, to ensure that sampling design and estimated sample size will allow study objectives to be met. Station location, number of nets, type of nets, net placement, and schedule of operation should be determined by the goals of the particular project, and we provide guidelines for typical mist-net studies. In the absence of study-specifi c requirements for novel protocols, commonly used protocols should be used to enable comparison of results among studies. Regardless of the equipment, net layout, or netting schedule selected, it is important for all studies that operations be strictly standardized, and a well-written operation protocol will help in attaining this goal. We provide recommendations for data to be collected on captured birds, and emphasize the need for good training of project personnel.

Citation

Ralph, C. John; Dunn, Erica H.; Peach, Will J.; Handel, Colleen M. 2004. Recommendations for the use of mist nets for inventory and monitoring of bird populations. Studies in Avian Biology 29:187?196