burning question about the CBCs

[Linda Andes-Georges]

Dear Cobirders & CBC participants:

There is something that I and my cohorts (leading teams for upcoming CBC in Boulder) have been wondering about.

Since the National Audubon Society allows for (I believe) a two-week window for getting the counts done, is the data good no matter when we turn it in during those two weeks? Because a "weather event" (like the one that may occur on Sunday) can skew all the data for the season if THAT DAY ONLY carries data "weight," but not the count-week data also. This makes no sense to me whatever.

We looked it up on Audubon FAQ and the answer was not very helpful. It said that count week data birds would be categorized as "cw." OK--but does that mean that they are as meaningful as what we gather on our chosen local day, or not?

I know it's fun to gather data all together on a given day, and to make a bit of a contest out of it, but speaking statistically, the two week spread data ought to be of equal significance, IMHO.

What do the rest of you know/think about this?

Linda Andes-Georges
central Boulder County (right between two CBC count circles)
2 mi east of Lagerman Res


PS Thanks to the treasurer for membership reminders.

[David Suddjian]

The CBC data must be from the calendar date selected as the count day (i.e., only one 24 hour day). The Audubon Soc. gives a broader window in which to select a single date for the count. The only thing that counts outside the selected date are additional species (not numbers of individuals) found in "count week" but missed on count day, but these are tallied additionally as "count week birds" beyond the total form count day. "Count week" extends for 3 days on both side of the count day.

Weather certainly does affect results, but these things balance out over the long run of counts conducted in a circle over many years. 

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO

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