ABV - Common breeding birds in Flanders, Belgium (post 2016)

Study Extent

To describe the long-term abundance from a set of general breeding birds in Flanders, to describe the distribution of the selected species and the changes over time and to describe (relative) densities of a number of species. The first published dataset on the common breeding birds monitoring can be consulted here: https://doi.org/10.15468/sccg5a This dataset includes all the counts after July 2016.

Sampling

The atlas of breeding birds in Flanders (https://www.gbif.org/dataset/81c5a091-6e94-40db-a2a4-48f4de42d410) was based on territory mapping in 5×5 km UTM-squares with additional information collected in a subset of 8 1×1 km squares (Vermeersch et al., 2004). Information in over 5,000 1×1 UTM-squares was already available,so we chose that grid as a basis for the new census. The grid was then randomly stratified over 6 habitat types (farmland, woodland, urban, suburban, heathland and marshland) and finally, 6 points were randomly assigned to each grid cell. There are 1200 randomly selected UTM 1km squares that will be counted. Each point (6 points in every UTM 1km grids quare) has to be counted three times in a year in predefined periods (DD/MM): 01/03-15/04, 16/04-31/05 and 01/06-15/07. All six points in a square have to be counted on the same day and subsequent counts of the same points in different periods should lie apart for at least two weeks. Each point has to be counted for 5 minutes (This is a 90 minutes per square in a year effort). The voluntary network Starting from the existing network in the BBV-project (special breeding birds), approximately 40 regional coordinators were found throughout Flanders. The volunteer network is maintained by Natuurpunt.

Quality Control

All records are validated

Method steps

1. Researchers from INBO and Natuurpunt Studie define and document the appropriate sampling protocol for the target species.
2. Fieldwork is planned and coordinated by Natuurpunt Studie, using https://meetnetten.be.
3. Data are collected in the field by specialized volunteers, using the predefined sampling protocol.
4. Volunteers enter the collected data in https://meetnetten.be.
5. A custom SQL view is created in the meetnetten.be database to map the original data to Darwin Core as an event core, occurrence extension and measurement or fact extension.
6. The Darwin Core views are connected to the INBO IPT and documented with metadata.
7. The dataset is published and registered with GBIF.

Aves

1. Animalia
   rank: kingdom
2. Chordata
   rank: phylum
3. Aves
   rank: class

Flanders, Belgium