1st TransTexas Quail count

1
1stTrans-Texas Quail count

• Saturday, May 6, 2006
• 700 a.m. 900 a.m.
• Local Sites TBA
• Sponsored by
• Texas Cooperative Extension and Bobwhite Brigade
• (co-sponsorships invited)

Your logo here
2
Goals

• Bring attention to plight of quail across Texas
• Demonstrate appreciation for quail along a broad
  array of stakeholders
• Identify remnant quail populations, especially in
  areas of east and central Texas
• Spark an interest in rekindling struggling quail
  populations

3
Goals (cont)

• Quail heard whistling will reflect availability
  of quail habitat
• Identify usable and non-usable space for quail

4
Count Protocols

• Establish a local route 5.0 miles long
• Count quail heard bob-whiting for a total of 5
  minutes per stop
• Plot locations of quail calling on data sheet
• At end of calling route, summarize call counts
  and report them to D. Rollins
• De-brief with your team to identify patterns of
  quail calls vs. habitat
• Can be adapted for scaled (blue) quail where
  appropriate

5
Data sheet

• You are standing in center of
• diagram
• Each ring is 200 yards apart
• Mark an X at the birds
• estimated position
• Plotting birds calling will
• help you keep track if more
• than five birds are calling

In this example, a total of 4 quail were heard
calling one at about 450 yards at 2 oclock,
another about 175 yards at 4 oclock, the third
about 500 yards at 8 oclock, and the last about
300 yards at 11 oclock.
6
Materials needed

• A team of 2 to 4 interested volunteers
• Copies of data sheets (6 copies per person)
• 1 copy of summary sheet
• Clipboard and pencil/pen
• Stopwatch
• GPS unit
• Digital camera
• Optional

7
The ideal team would consist of

• A Bobwhite Brigade cadet
• Landowner(s) on whose property youll be counting
• Quail hunter
• NGO partner (e.g., QU, Master Naturalist)
• Local biologist and/or Extension agent
• Local media representative

8
Setting up the route

• Use existing county road OR ranch roads with
  landowners permission
• Avoid busy roads for safetys sake, and to
  minimize associated road noise which will
  decrease your ability to hear quail calls
• Should include a variety of habitat types
• Establish listening points at 1.0 mile intervals
• Begin with MM 0 and continue through MM 5
• A total of 6 stops (MMs 0 5)
• Mark appropriately (e.g., a t-post) or just use
  odometer reading
• Record a GPS waypoint at each MM if possible

9
Conducting the counts

• Be in place (Mile Marker 0) at 700 a.m.
• Have a copy of data sheet for each observer
  separate data sheet for each MM
• Turn off the vehicles engine move away from
  vehicle at least 50 feet to minimize engine
  noises ask counters to not talk during the
  listening period.
• Count for exactly 5 minutes record locations of
  all calling males on data sheet.
• Travel to next MM and repeat until all 6 stations
  are counted.

10
Summarizing the data

• Record findings on county summary sheet
  (included)
• Record weather conditions at time of count
• Note habitat types present at each MM
• FAX data sheet to D. Rollins _at_ 325-658-4364
• Results will be compiled and e-mailed to count
  coordinators and available on TeamQuail website.

11
Habitat types

• Native rangeland/brushland
• Forest
• Improved pasture
• Cropland
• Other

12
Debriefing

• Compile results per individual MM.
• Compare precision among different observers (i.e.
  how many cocks did each person count at a
  particular MM?).
• As you travel back to MM 0, observe habitat types
  at each MM were there any patterns of where
  quail did or did not occur on the landscape?
• You might want to take photographs along each
  side of the road for presentation sakes in your
  local community. If so, have 1 of your team
  stand about 25 feet away and hold up a sign
  showing (e.g.) 2-R-06 to indicate MM 2, Right
  side of road, in year 06. Repeat photographs at
  each MM with appropriate sign changes.

13
Questions

• See http//teamquail.tamu.edu for data sheets and
  additional information on protocols
• See publication Counting Quail available online
  at this website
• If you will be counting scaled (blue) quail,
  contact Dr. Rollins for modifications to the
  above protocols.