How to Count Birds: A Guide for Monitoring Avian Populations

A practical guide to making every bird count, for those who count birds. Counting birds may sound simple-just step outside and start tallying.But in reality, it's a complex and essential endeavor at the core of modern wildlife conservation.In How to Count Birds, conservation biologist Christopher JW McClure offers a practical guide to designing effective bird monitoring programs that inform real-world management and conservation strategies.As species vanish at unprecedented rates, having accurate population data is more urgent than ever.Yet too often, flawed study designs and outdated techniques lead to wasted time, ill-used resources, and misleading conclusions.McClure equips researchers, students, and birders with the tools to design efficient studies that avoid common pitfalls and capture what's truly happening in bird populations.This guide explains the biological, statistical, and philosophical principles behind good monitoring and explores study designs for estimating key demogra