1. Binoculars or spotting scope — Spotting
birds can be diffi cult, especially when
looking for small species or viewing
birds from a distance. Binoculars and
spotting scopes can magnify details
to help with bird identifi cation. These
tools can also allow biologists to read
codes on bird bands and observe
behavior without disturbance.
2. Waterproof fi eld journal — Working
outside means working with the
weather, so a waterproof journal is the
best option to make sure important
notes aren't lost on a rainy day.
3. Bird ID book — While most avian
biologists are skilled at identifying
birds, there are always a few
stumpers. Some species look similar to
each other, and sometimes occasional
migrants or birds on the edge of their
range show up in unexpected places.
A good bird ID book can help confi rm
these sightings.
4. Camera — Cameras are useful tools
for documentation. In addition
to binoculars, the still shots from
cameras can help identify species and
bird band codes.
5. Datasheets — The most precious piece
of a biologist's toolkit are datasheets,
which can hold the information that
will hopefully answer the questions
that the biologist sets out to study.
Once data is entered into a computer
database for analysis, the data sheets
become a physical archive.
6. Egg fl oat kit — If a biologist is
searching for and monitoring bird
nests, they will likely want to know
the age of the nest. Egg fl oating is one
method for determining how soon a
nest will hatch, as the buoyancy of the
eggs can indicate how far along the
nest is in the incubation process.
7. GPS unit — A GPS unit is a useful
tool for logging and keeping track of
observations, survey points and nest
locations, especially when navigating
diffi cult terrain or returning to
monitor a nest deep in the fi eld.
8. Kestrel — This device records wind
speed and air temperature, which are
metrics that biologists often record in
addition to other observations for the
datasheet.
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