Focal animal behavioral data:

As the name implies, focal animal samples are derived from observations of a single animal. These are usually conducted within an observation period of known time. The duration of the sample may range quite a bit depending on how frequently behaviors are expressed (e.g, for rapidly occuring behaviors, perhaps a single minute of observation will suffice, for less frequent behaviors you may need to observe the focal animal for much longer). There is an obvious trade off between the number of replicate samples you can obtain and the duration of each sample. Also, the probability that observations may be cut short by disturbance or because the focal animal leaves/is lost from sight increases with the duration of the focal sample. Thus, you should generally try for durations that are as short as possible, but still provide a general profile of behavior. This can often only be obtained by watching for a longer period and then comparing samples of shorter duration from within the longer sample (i.e., are the six, five minute observations obtained during a 30 minute trial different from one another? different from the 30 minute profile? What about three, ten minute blocks?). Generally Focal animal observations are often done by pairs of observers... one recording information that is orally conveyed by an observer who watches the animal continuously. Event recording computers or other devices are also commonly used.

For this assignment, you will be challenged to quantify several aspects of junco social behavior. These include who an individual interacts with, and the nature of the interaction. Additional data on rates of feeding (pecks) and "head ups" (when the bird looks up from bouts of feeding) should also be recorded.

To begin, note the time, weather, and observers present on the data sheet. Also note the nature of the food provided (this may be relevant to subsequent investigations).

Next, survey the area to determine how many juncos are present. On the data sheet, record this number as the group size... also note the presence of other bird species (numbers and type) in the "comments" area. At this time, it may help to try to identify the band combinations for the different birds that are present.

Finally, choose a focal bird and begin observing it. Make sure to record the start time. As you watch the bird, note social interactions. Record interactions inwhich the focal bird chases or displaces another bird as a "chase". Record episodes inwhich the focal bird is displaced or chased by another bird as a "displacement". In either event, try to record the identity of the other bird. The person recording the data may help in this regard.

After five mintues or when the bird leaves (which ever comes first), stop your observations and tally up the information. Record this on the data sheet and start again with another bird.

Click here to download a data sheet for focal animal sampling of foraging juncos

Event sampling protocols:

Event sampling entails the monitoring of all interactions within a group over a specified period of time. Surveys should be done as quickly as possible to provide a "snapshot" of the entire group. The duration of each survey should be noted and will probably vary a bit, depending on the size of the group. You will need to have a set of pre-determined behavioral categories in mind for this type of work and ideally this set should be exclusive and exhaustive (i.e., no matter what the animal is doing, its behavior should fit into a single category). Often behaviors such as feeding, walking, head-up can occur simultaneously, so generating your list of categories may require some observation time and some creativity. A category of "other" is often used to allow for unexpected or irrelevant behaviors.

Before you begin an event scan, you should fill out the data sheet with information regarding time, observer, weather, etc.

Next, establish how many individuals are present within the group and try to note details on group composition if relevant (males/females, adults/juv, etc). Then begin timing and scan the group for activity (binoculars may, or may not, help). Record the appropriate behavioral category for each individual as you scan from one individual to the next and record this information on the data sheet.

 

Click here to download the data sheet for event sampling within a flock of juncos

 

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