Date: 3/25/26 2:22 pm From: Mark Mayfield <markherb...> Subject: Re: Looking For Breeding Bird Survey volunteers
Hey Chuck,
I’d love to do one more but I’m away a lot this year during the window. I hope I can get the two I have done. Maybe next yr?
Best, Mark
Mark H Mayfield
Division of Biology
Kansas State University
________________________________
From: Birds & Their Habitats in Kansas <KSBIRD-L...> on behalf of Chuck Otte <00001b0b31b1d152-dmarc-request...>
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2026 11:41:27 AM
To: <ksbird-l...> <ksbird-l...>
Subject: Looking For Breeding Bird Survey volunteers
A few years ago I "inherited" the job of Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) state
coordinator from Bill Busby. Since that time we´ve been through a pandemic
and the passing or "retirement" of some long time BBS route volunteers. As a
result, we do have about half of the routes in the state that are currently
available for assignment.
The BBS is a long-term, large-scale, international avian monitoring program
initiated in 1966 to track the status and trends of North American bird
populations. Each year during the height of the avian breeding season, June
for most of the U.S. and Canada, participants skilled in avian identification
collect bird population data along roadside survey routes. Each survey route
is approximately 24.5 miles long with stops situated ideally 0.5-mile apart. At
each stop, a 3-minute point count is conducted. During the count, every bird
seen within a 0.25-mile radius or heard is recorded. Surveys start one-half
hour before local sunrise and take about 5 hours to complete. In Kansas
routes can be run mainly in June but in reality it´s from Memorial Day to the
4th of July.
If you go to: https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBS/RouteMap/Map.cfm you can
work your way through and find a map and listing of Kansas BBS routes.
Routes in red are routes that are currently vacant. There´s a box you can
check to see the path that the route is assigned to.
If, after reading this information, you think you want to participate, send me
your contact and mailing information at <cotte...> I will enter you
into the database and assign you to the route that you are interested in. You
will need to successfully complete an online methodology training session. It
really is important that you can identify bird songs from the breeding season
as many of the individuals you will be recording will be heard not seen (I´d
say about 3/4 heard and 1/4 seen. As we get closer to survey time you will
receive a packet of information and a map - I´d strongly recommend you
drive the route prior to doing your first survey so you know the road
conditions and where to stop. I have a few stops where I adjust my stopping
point a hundred yards so that I´m not stopping right in front of someone´s
house or near a barking/mean dog! One last thing, if you aren´t an early riser
- this probably isn´t a volunteer job for you!!
