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What is this project all about? Why are we
gathering this information?
The Turkey Vulture was once on the provincial "Blue List" of
threatened species. A few years ago it was delisted.
Although vultures are conspicuous in southern British Columbia and
probably expanding in range and population, we feel that they are still
relatively rare. Therefore gathering some detailed information on
their distribution and abundance will prove useful as a baseline for
further evaluation.
How you can help.
We are interested in all 2006 Turkey Vulture observations from
British Columbia. Click
HERE to
download the data form and instructions.
What do we plan do with the data collected?
Data received will be kept in a database for storage and
analysis. From time to time spreadsheets will be posted detailing
observations. When we have adequate information, summary reports will be
prepared and made available to the public.
How will we disseminate our findings?
In the short term, we will prepare short data summaries which will
be posted on
www.birdinfo.com. Longer, more comprehensive reports may be
produced in the future, and published on the web or other media.
Click HERE to view the
latest data posted.
Who is funding the project?
We hope to obtain some funding in the future to help with data analysis
and media production. However, at this time, the project is being
operated on a totally volunteer basis.
Who will have access to the data?
We believe that relatively free access to the data is necessary for
conservation purposes. Most of the non-nesting data will be
posted. As nest
sites may be sensitive to disturbance, information on locations will be
released
released on a “need to know” basis. The following guidelines will
normally apply:
a)
Exact nest locations will not be released.
b)
Observer contact information will not be released without permission of
the observer or designated representative.
c) In
various reports and postings produced during the project, observer names will
be used (unless otherwise requested) as appropriate in acknowledgement
of participation and contribution.
d) All
requests for data will be carefully considered by the coordinators.
General summaries regarding the general biological findings of the
project will normally be released. Details linked to specific sites
will be released only if we are confident that this will not result in
undue harm to the birds.
Who is coordinating this project?
The British Columbia Turkey Vulture Survey is being coordinated by Michael
G. Shepard, RPBio., Paul G. Levesque, BIT, and Michael J.R. Miller, RPBio. We are all members of the Association of Professional Biologists
of British Columbia, and are bound by a code of ethics of professional
conduct. We are conservationists by nature, and wish to have reputable
information available to the general public, resource managers and
decision makers.
How to contact us about the project?
If you have questions about the project, please e-mail us at
vulture@birdinfo.com Due to a heavy field schedule, it may take up to two weeks to get a
reply. We apologize in advance for this anticipated delay in
communication.
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