Challenges in Engaging Birdwatchers in Bird Monitoring in a Forest Patch: Lessons for Future Citizen Science Projects in Agricultural Landscapes

Citizen Science: Theory and Practice

Vosmarline Graziela Rocha Lima¹  Valdir Felipe Paulete²  Austin Green²  Çağan Hakkı Şekercioğlu³  Ana Beatriz Navarro³  Eduardo Roberto Alexandrino³  Maristela Camolesi³  Maria Paschoaletto Micchi de Barros Ferraz⁴  Hilton Thadeu Zarate do Couto⁵  Tiago de Conto⁶ 

[1] Universidade Federal de São Carlos – UFSCar, campus Sorocaba. Rod. João Leme dos Santos, Km, Sorocaba, SP;Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba – UNIMEP. Rodovia do açúcar, Km 156 – Taquaral, Piracicaba, SP;Universidade de São Paulo – USP, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz” – ESALQ, Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre – LEMaC, Av. Pádua Dias, Piracicaba, SP;Universidade de São Paulo – USP, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz” – ESALQ, Laboratório de Métodos Quantitativos – LMQ, Av. Pádua Dias, Piracicaba, SP;University of Utah, Department of Biology, Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology Lab, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, US;University of Utah, Department of Biology, Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology Lab, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT;

关键词: avian ecology;    participatory science;    birdwatching;    bird banding;    bird resighting;    forest restoration;    ornithology;    serious leisure;    tropical biology;    ecotourism;   

DOI  :  10.5334/cstp.198

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Birdwatchers hold substantial potential as data collectors for research, and in Brazil, the birdwatching community has been growing since the early 2000s. Currently the effects of birds on forest patch restoration in agricultural landscapes is a major focus of avian conservation ecology, but these patches are not frequently visited by birdwatchers in Brazil, hindering the collection of useful bird data. We thus developed a project, 'Did I see a banded bird!?', which was designed to attract birdwatching volunteers to monitor birds within a forest patch. We explored three motivating factors to attract birdwatchers: (1) we offered an unprecedented opportunity for birdwatchers to record individual birds with colored bands, a challenging activity appealing to birdwatchers’ competitive nature; (2) our study area offered a new location with free, easy access and no logistical impediments; and (3) we continuously provided information on the benefits of birdwatching records for science and society to encourage participation. The project was widely announced and we had 302 applicants. However, the barriers faced throughout the project’s execution, including limited researcher-volunteer interaction, low security in the patch, and the presence of few species for birdwatchers to see, reduced the motivation and participation of most applicants. Consequently, from a list of 155 highly qualified applicants who lived near the patch and were skilled in forest birding, only 10 visited the patch. Our findings provide important guidelines for researchers planning similar citizen science projects in agricultural landscapes, mainly in countries where citizen science is still not common.

【 授权许可】

Unknown