Raptor road counts

Namibia's birders were pleased to hear that the popular Raptor Road Count project was re-launched in 2005. This project began in 1977 with the idea of being a simple but powerful way of monitoring Namibia's bird of prey populations. It became a major public participation project, involving several hundred people some of whom contributed literally hundreds of road count forms. Many people became addicted and found they could not drive anywhere without filling in a raptor road count form along the way! The project developed over many years, peaking in the 1980s but with a few counts still being completed up to 2000.

Over the years, an amazing 65,000 sightings of raptors were submitted, totalling over 113,000 birds across the country. Originally the counts were divided into eight zones based on quarter degree squares, but with the advance of technology it is now possible to analyse the counts at a much finer resolution (even attributing sightings automatically to 1 km sections of roads). Preliminary analyses have looked at basic raptor densities, responses to environmental factors, use of substrates and bird activity budgets and the dataset has enormous potential for further analysis. Raptor populations are affected by many factors, both natural and human-related, many of which are poorly understood. There have been substantial changes in Namibia since the 1970s - different farming practices, removal of telephone poles and pesticide use, to name just a few - and the re-launch of the raptor road counts will enhance our understanding of natural long-term changes, and allow us to assess how our raptors are faring.

It is being recognised increasingly that Namibia's vultures, other diurnal raptors and owls are increasingly under threat from factors such as disturbance, particularly at breeding sites; the misuse of poisons and pesticides; electrocution and collisions with overhead lines; habitat degradation; persecution; illegal harvesting; and drowning in reservoirs. A newly formed working group for birds of prey, Raptors Namibia, developed a six-point Action Plan at a small pilot workshop in February 2005. The initiative is supported financially by the Namibia Nature Foundation and SIDA, through the Swedish Embassy. The plan identifies the following priorities for raptor conservation in Namibia:

• Promote co-ordination and communication
• Obtain information/data
• Promote awareness and education
• Manage raptor populations and habitats by addressing threats
• Build capacity
• Define protocols and policy and promote the enforcement of legislation

Workshop participants were unanimous that reinstating of the raptor road counts would form a charismatic flagship project in terms of implementing the action plan. Alice Jarvis kindly designed the new data form and provided comprehensive guidelines for its completion. She provides ongoing technical support, and training and support to Toini Hamunyela who enters the road count data.

The basic concept remains the same, with raptors being recorded while observers drive along Namibia's roads, but there are some changes to the methodology. These are designed to increase the value of the data and to make data entry and analysis easier. A new raptor road count form has been developed, and the most commonly driven routes have been identified and given route numbers. These route numbers are recorded on the form. Off-the-beaten-track records can also be submitted.

The new form is available here, together with comprehensive guidelines. So, get hold of the new form, get counting and let's see what's happened to Namibia's raptors!

Key points:

• Please read the guidelines carefully before you start.
• Divide your route into the routes listed. If your start and stop places do not exactly match those of the numbered route, leave the route column blank.
• Record the time and odometer for every record (even if it is the same as the previous record).
• Remember to record the time and odometer reading at the end of each road count.
• Try to write legibly - check your data sheets before you send them in and add interpretative notes if necessary.
• If your journey does not fall into a numbered route, record major junctions/landmarks, with time and odometer, so we can calculate which zone you were in. Record QDS (quarter degree square) if you know it, or GPS co-ordinates. This is not necessary if you are on a numbered route.
• Contact us if you have a tracking GPS (capable of recording waypoints continuously every km) and you would prefer to record road counts using your GPS instead of the data forms.

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Hints on filling in the raptor road count forms

We all know that filling in forms is NOT most people's idea of fun - usually we do it as quickly as possible to minimise the pain - so we do appreciate your willingness to participate. However, we are having a few problems and would like to give a few key guidelines.

Firstly, please do take the time to read the guidelines document and become familiar with the project and the methodology. The guidelines cover the recording system in detail. There is a basic minimum set of information we need, and if the forms do not include this, we can't use them.

The minimum we require for a count is the date, start and stop place, time and odometer reading. For each sighting we need the species, time, odometer and number of birds. Additional information is good, but not essential.

If your journey is long, it is likely that you will cover several road count routes. For example, if you travel from Windhoek to Rundu, you will cover route 1 (Windhoek to Okahandja), route 3 (Okahandja to Otjiwarongo), route 6 (Otjiwarongo to Otavi), route 14 (Otavi to Grootfontein), route 15 (Grootfontein to the Tsumkwe turnoff) and route 18 (Tsumkwe turnoff to Rundu).

To help us make the most of your efforts, PLEASE note:

• At the start and end of each route, record the time and odometer. So, in the above example, record your time and odometer in Windhoek, add a line when you get to Okahandja, with the time and odometer, and do this for every other start and stopping place: Otjiwarongo, Otavi, Grootfontein, Tsumkwe turnoff and Rundu.
• The route no. should only be filled in if you are driving - exactly - from the start point to the end point of the route (or vice versa), as listed on the guidelines. If you are starting/stopping a route half way, provide details of your starting and stopping places but don't fill in a route number.
• The road count database uses the route numbers, start and stop points and odometer readings to calculate automatically which 1 km section of road each sighting was on, so it is important that this information is correct. Counts which are not complete raptor road count routes are still used. However, rather than being assigned to 1 km sections they are coded according to 8 zones.
• It is okay to have a form which is a mixture of routes and non-routes. This would happen if, for example, you drive from Palmwag to Sesfontein (route 56) and then do a game drive in the Hoanib. Code the first part according to the road count route numbers, and leave the road count number blank for the rest - but do provide enough details for us to calculate where you went. Give GPS or quarter degree square references, or descriptive information. Remember to use the route numbers again when you do get back onto road count routes.

Thanks for the enthusiastic support and many completed form we are getting for the Raptor Road Count project.

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Road Count Questions and Answers

If I do a road count and don't see anything is it still worth sending in the form? [Expand]

Yes. Negative results are just as important as positive ones. Please make sure you do send in these forms. [Hide]

If I start a route one day and stop overnight, can I continue the route the next day? [Expand]

Yes, just make it clear on the form that you have stopped overnight and restarted. Enter the time of stopping on the first day and time of starting the next day. Please make a note if the weather conditions differ significantly on the second day. [Hide]

Can I only do a raptor road count by car? [Expand]

No. If you are traveling by bicycle or boat, for example, you can also do a road count. In fact, these are often very valuable counts as they may cover areas where cars don't or can't go. Make a note on the form which states your mode of transport. [Hide]

There is a journey that I travel often but it is not an assigned route - can it be made into a route? [Expand]

Yes. Please send details of the journey to us and we will do our best to add new routes as they are needed. [Hide]

Under the old system we had to record the QDS (quarter degree square) for every sighting, do we still need to do this? [Expand]

Not for road counts which follow assigned routes - in this case, every sighting is automatically assigned to a 1-km section of road when the data are entered onto the database. However, if you do a count which is not on an assigned route, please either provide enough information that we can calculate the QDS or enter the QDS in the notes column if you know it. Please include the standard route/road number (shown on any map). [Hide]

If/when I see raptors around where I live how should I record them if at all? [Expand]

Point data can't be entered in the existing setup, but any route data can, so as long as you can record it as part of a road count, we can handle it. [Hide]

Would driving up the Kuiseb be classified as a 'road'? [Expand]

This kind of count should be recorded just the same as usual except that there would not be a route number. Counts which don't fall into existing routes are coded by zone - there are 8 in Namibia (for the purposes of road counts!). So, as long as we have enough info (preferably GPS or QDS for the start, stop, all sightings and landmarks/junctions along the way) we can assign the count to a zone or zones. [Hide]

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Raptor road count update - data collection since relaunch in June 2005

Data entered onto the database are shown below. Note that there is always a backlog - both in people sending in their forms and in the verification and entering of data.

Month-year	Distance	No species	No counters	No birds
Jun-2005	3,630	10	6	88
Jul-2005	10,275	24	10	360
Aug-2005	4,414	22	11	563
Sept-2005	7,878	28	12	311
Oct-2005	12,423	28	14	585
Nov-2005	12,044	29	6	441
Dec-2005	9,751	36	9	1,709
Jan-2006	9,044	39	9	1,709
Feb-2006	5,170	23	8	1,810
Mar-2006	11,643	35	10	901
Apr-2006	8,086	29	8	408
May-2006	1,922	17	4	97
Jun-2006	8,764	25	6	364
Jul-2006	5,533	23	3	290
Aug-2006	5,475	23	5	388
Sep-2006	3,175	18	4	157
Oct-2006	8,162	25	3	590
Nov-2006	1,652	12	3	180
Dec-2006	2,719	21	3	426
Jan-2007	5,597	32	4	1937
Feb-2007	5,552	29	4	851
Mar-2007	2,317	18	3	452
Apr-2007	3,808	29	2	454
May-2007	1,065	18	2	92

Month-year	Distance	No species	No counters	No birds
Total since relaunch	150,247	50	30	15,183

Due to funding constraints, little data entry has been done since May 2007. Please don't stop doing road counts and sending in forms, and contact the co-ordinators if you have ideas or suggestions for future funding.

.:: Web design by Alice Jarvis.   This page last updated on August 7, 2008 ::.