How to Use Project Nestwatch

Your (hopefully) helpful guide to Project NestWatch

Why use Nestwatch

• Project Nestwatch is a wonderful bird monitoring program run through the Cornell Ornithology Institute that brings together citizens bird-monitoring observations into one database so that this data collected from all over the country can be used to give us more accurate information about the species we are studying.

• In short: the data you collect will be important for the success of a much larger, more long-term project

Step 1: Become a certified Nestwatch Monitor

• Visit www.nestwatch.org

• Select “join now and count”– Create an account for

your class– Read the Nestwatch

Code of Conduct– Take the SHORT quiz

and become certified!

Step 2: Add your Bluebird box location on Nestwatch

Now that you have placed your bluebird box near your school, enter the box onto the website. Information you will need:• Name• Description of the immediate site • Orientation of the box hole• Width of the box hole• Description of the habitats close to the site• Site elevation (you can google this)• Nest height above ground

Step 3: Begin monitoring your bluebird box

1. Review the Code of Conduct with your students

2. Begin making observations a week after installing your bluebird box with your “NestWatch Multiple Visits Data Sheet”

3. Visit your box once a week, at the same time every week- preferably in the afternoon

Step 4: Enter your data on the NestWatch website

• Log on, and go to the “Your data” tab

• Select your nest site• Select the blue

notebook• Enter your data

Suggestions for Monitoring

• Take one small group each time (rotate these groups during your observational time)– Other students can stay back and make habitat

observations• In your small group assign students specific roles – Observe nest status, observe adult status, observe

young status.• If possible enter the data together as a class– If not, enter the data with the small group you

observed with

How to Explore Data

• The point of using NestWatch is so that the data you collect can be a part of a larger bluebird monitoring program. You have access to the information from other nests across the country through this website.

NestWatch Map Room• Shows you the distribution of blue bird nests

across the country

NestWatch Project Wide Data Downloads

• Allows you to download Excel spreadsheets with information on – Species summary: total number of nesting

attempts, eggs, nestlings, and fledglings– Reproductive success– Raw Nesting Attempt Data- shows all of the data

that has been reported for every nesting attempt submitted

• http://nestwatch.org/• http://www.allaboutbirds.org- bluebird facts• http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/eastern-bluebird /-

bluebird facts• http://www.sialis.org/basics.htm- bluebird nesting cycle• NestWatch Monitoring Manual (I can email this to you all or you can google

it, it is the first link to come up)

As always feel free to contact any of us with questions or concerns:Smith Center: 301-924-3123Bill Kraegel: William_Kraegel@mcpsmd.orgJay Handzo: Jay_Handzo@mcpsmd.orgKiri Brenner: Kiri_M_Brenner@mcpsmd.org

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