Fast, Professional Bird Surveys

Bird Surveys

Would your development site interfere with the local bird population? Then you need a Bird Survey by law. Without one, you could face legal issues and additional costs. Indigo Surveys offers fantastic specialist surveyors who can prevent any and all interruptions to your development site. This means that with us, you can expect fast work, lower costs, and no nasty surprises. 

What are Bird Surveys?

Bird surveys are a systematic investigation and collection of information regarding the bird species within a specific area – this area being the development site. They provide data that is crucial to gaining a full picture of the environment, as well as what conservation efforts will be applied. 

Our specialists at Indigo Surveys have high levels of knowledge about the local fauna and flora, using cutting-edge, failproof technologies. We task our surveyors to continue their training and adapt to new methodologies to ensure they perform at their peak and provide the best service for our clientele. You can expect to see them use high-res optics and recording devices in their data gathering, as well as good levels of communication, so you understand the exact situation your development site is in. 

When is a Bird Survey required? 

If you’re trying to create a development project, then you may need a bird survey in the following situations: 

• Known Habitats – If your development project is being constructed in an area that is known for significant bird populations, or the habitat of birds that are considered protected, you will need a bird survey.

• Potential Impact – If your development project has inherent properties that raise the chance of impacting any animal habitats in the area, you will need a EIA survey, which includes a Bird Survey. 

• Large Scale Land Alteration – If your development project covers a large scale, then there will be many, long-form data gathering through surveys to find what it could impact. Bird surveys will be part of it. 

How long does a Bird Survey take?

Two bird surveys never take the same amount of time. This is because of the size of the areas, the methods used and the specific requirements of the study. Here are the individual surveys that make up how long the overall Bird Survey will take. 

• Point Count Survey – The surveyor stands at a single point, and from there, he records all the birds that are seen or heard within a set period, normally around 5-10 minutes. Larger areas will have several points to stand and will require time to travel between them. 

• Line Transect Surveys – Observers walk a specific route, and whilst doing so, record bird sightings and calls. How long this takes depends entirely on the line graphed between the areas where surveyors are most likely to spot birds. 

• Breeding Bird Surveys – These surveys are designed to capture data on the birds that are breeding in the area. These surveys tend to take weeks, as the only time accurate results can be taken is during the breeding season. 

• Nest Monitoring –  Nest monitoring is time-intensive but periodic. Nest monitoring is carried out on a daily basis in some cases, and in others, consistently over the course of the entire breeding system. 

• Migratory Bird Surveys – Migratory Bird Surveys are carried out at specific times, such as dawn or dusk, in order to capture data on the patterns of migration. However, during each session, it’s likely that at least a couple of hours will be spent at a time. 

• Large-Scale Area Surveys – If the area being surveyed spans large areas, such as national parks, then the survey could take a week or more. Remember, some surveys require extensive data on all birds present. 

• Rapid Assessments – Rapid assessments are basic overviews of bird presence within the area. 

Can I conduct a Bird Survey solo? 

Believe it or not, yes, you actually can. However, if what we’ve already pointed out isn’t enough to illustrate the level of training required, let us lay out why you absolutely shouldn’t attempt to do this yourself, and why you need a professional. 

• Specialised Knowledge – There’s some things you cannot pick up from YouTube videos. Accurately identifying bird species visually isn’t enough, you must understand each of their calls too. Mistakes in identification can throw a wrench into your whole operation and cause delays. 

• Regulation Standards – Even if the information you get is ultimately correct, understand that the methods by which you get the information are also up to scrutiny. Should it not match the regulations accepted by the local board, you may find your findings are deemed invalid. 
• Equipment – By far one of the biggest reasons you should always go with a professional is they have training in expensive, high-tech, accurate equipment.