[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Bill Pranty on 21:51:41 03/30/06
Good evening,
In mid-December 2005, Larry Manfredi posted an RFI to this board in which he requested observations of the Common Myna in Florida in an attempt to get the species placed on the Florida, ABA, and AOU lists (see http://www.tropicalaudubon.org/tasboard/messages/9519.html). Prior to this post, there had been a few other attempts at gathering sufficient data on myna range and numbers over the past 5-7 years, including one by P. William Smith and me ca. 1999, but none of these was successful. Larry later admitted that he sent his post to the BirdBoard in order to get me involved in another attempt.
So, we're looking for several DEDICATED birders to perform EXTENSIVE surveys of suburban/urban Miami-Dade County -- and preferably also Broward, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties -- to gather data on myna distribution and numbers. I must warn any potential surveyors that the survey will be WORK and will require HUNDREDS OF HOURS by many birders over the next few months. (Gathering incidental observations will never be sufficient to document myna range and numbers -- extensive surveys specifically targeting mynas will be necessary).
I also must warn prospective surveyors that despite our best intentions, we still may not have enough data after 2-3 months, in which case we would either give up or ask for more effort (depending on how close we were to gathering enough data). I'm fairly confident that we should get sufficient data from 500-600 hours of fieldwork, but we may need more -- it all depends upon how successful are the surveys in finding mynas.
Inasmuch as the Common Myna nesting season is now upon us, the next few to several months will be the ideal time for a survey, since males will be singing and pairs presumably will be remaining close to their nesting site, rather than flocking at communal roosts that form during the non-breeding season.
My idea for the survey is to get 8-10 really committed and trustworthy teams of birders (1-2/team) who would each commit to 8-10 half-day surveys of shopping centers throughout Miami-Dade County, plus whatever help we can get from Broward, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties. We would randomly select 300-400 shopping centers (or more accurately, road intersections that probably have a shopping center or fast-food restaurant on at least one of the corners). I haven t yet come up with the method for randomly selecting these sites from what must be literally thousands of road intersections, but the sites should be randomly selected to make the study more scientifically valid. Each team would spend a standardized amount of time (perhaps 30 minutes) at each site looking for mynas. If mynas are found, their numbers will be recorded, and nests and/or juveniles will be searched for.
In addition to providing information on Common Myna nest-site selection in Florida (which is imperfectly known at present, other than being in artificial cavities), finding nests will satisfy one of the primary criteria for determining that an exotic bird is truly established: that it is regularly reproducing in "the wild" and that its population is being maintained or is increasing from reproduction rather than from continuing escapes or releases. We might also be able to determine the length of the Common Myna nesting season in Florida, myna brood size, and the number of broods produced annually (information that is unknown at present).
Providing for 15 minutes of travel time between sites, a team could cover 7-10 sites in a 5-7 hour survey day. If each of 10 teams can commit to at least 7 survey days, then we should be able to survey 400-500 separate sites in a few months time (presuming 2-3 survey days per month).
Common Mynas seem to be fairly widespread within developed Miami-Dade County, so we might get 150-200 sites with mynas. Assuming that each site has only one or two pairs of mynas, we still might not have enough birds to convince some records committees. The Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee (FOSRC) writes that ... populations of a few hundred breeding pairs generally are needed to provide reasonable assurance of genetic health. However, by randomly selecting the sites, we should be able to _extrapolate_ the total population of mynas in a county. For instance, if we find a total of 200 myna pairs in Miami-Dade County at 50% of the sites surveyed, and we estimate that the amount of suitable habitat that was surveyed represents 5% of the area, then we could predict that 2000 myna pairs actually inhabited the county (200 x 20 / 2). (We couldn t make that extrapolation if the sites were picked non-randomly).
So, we have a fairly cohesive design for the survey. Now we need surveyors. I repeat that the surveys will be WORK -- but then again, adding a species to the North American bird list is seldom easy. I predict that if we have sufficient data by July 2006, then Larry and I should have a manuscript ready for submittal (to either _North American Birds_ or _Florida Field Naturalist_) by October 2006. Presuming a 3-month review period and further presuming that the manuscript will be accepted, we could be looking at a publication date of mid-2007. The accepted manuscript will spur a vote on adding the Common Myna to the Florida list by members of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee. If the FOSRC agrees that the Common Myna is established, then the species will be added to the Florida list. Then the ABA Checklist Committee will take up the vote (the ABA CLC cannot vote on adding an exotic to the ABA Checklist until a local committee has added it to its state or provincial list), as will the Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Ornithologists Union.
If all goes as planned (and things usually go awry, at least somewhat), then the Common Myna likely would be recognized as an established and fully "countable" exotic bird by early 2008.
We are looking for 10-20 truly dedicated birders who are willing to give up some birding time this spring for Neotropical migrants or West Indian strays in order to help to add a new bird to the Florida, ABA, and AOU lists. We really can t do much with incidental observations, or birders who can devote only a few hours to the project.
Obviously, the names of all "full-time" surveyors will be listed in the Acknowledgments of our paper.
So, are there enough birders in Miami-Dade County for a successful survey of Common Mynas? We ll find out soon enough. If you are interested AND if you are willing to devote at least seven half-day birding trips scouring shopping centers for mynas over the next few months, please let me know (Larry will be busy with his Dry Tortugas trips over the next several weeks). You can either post a response to the BirdBoard or send me a private email (billpranty@hotmail.com). I m sorry that I won t be able to join you on the surveys, although I ll try to come down at least once later in the spring.
The surveys will begin when we have commitments from at least 10 birders. In the meantime, I ll be thinking about how to select the sites.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Best regards,
Bill Pranty
Bayonet Point, Florida
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]