**BARBUDA MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD COLONY**

![](media/image1.png)**MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING PLAN**

May 1998

By:

Betty Anne Schreiber Ph.D.

Research Associate, Smithsonian Institution, NMNH

4109 Komes Court, Alexandria VA 22306

703 768-6726

Funding for this plan was provided by the British Government through a
project memorandum between the British Department for Development in the
Caribbean and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.

**BARBUDA MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD COLONY:**

**MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING PLAN**

######### TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 3

MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD BREEDING BIOLOGY 3

Life History 3

Population status: Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico 7

Description of Colony Site and History 7

POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF MONITORING PROGRAM 8

Disturbance Caused by Monitoring Activities 8

Signs That a Bird is Disturbed by Human Presence 10

Problems Caused to Frigatebirds by Disturbance 10

DIRECTIONS FOR CENSUSING FRIGATEBIRD COLONY 11

ANALYSIS OF COUNT DATA, ANNUAL SUMMARY AND

ACROSS-YEARS SUMMARY 15

MONITORING FOR DISTURBANCE 17

APPENDIX

Sample data collection sheets for colony counts

Sample data sheets for annual summary of count data

Sample data sheets for across years summary

**INTRODUCTION**

The Codrington Lagoon Bird Sanctuary in Barbuda contains one of the
largest breeding colonies of the magnificent frigatebird (*Fregata
magnificens*) in the world, and probably the largest single colony in
the Caribbean. As tourism to the colony increases it is important to
have a management and monitoring plan in place to help ensure the
protection of the colony. This document details a monitoring strategy
which will help assess the health of the colony each year, and from year
to year will enable determination of any changes occurring to the
colony.

A good knowledge of the biology of frigatebirds is needed when carrying
out a monitoring program. By knowing about the natural history of the
birds it is easier to understand what is happening when you work in the
colony. It is easy to misinterpret events in the colony if you do not
know something about the biology of the species. One of the most
important things you can do when working with birds is to observe their
behavior and get to know what it means. Be sensitive to their actions
and reactions. Also, you can learn a lot from observations taken around
the colony by watching what happens to the nesting trees from year to
year, counting dead young lying below nests, recording how old chicks
are when the males leave the colony, and making other notes or
observations as you are in the colony. Because these observations are
important this monitoring plan begins with a description of the breeding
biology of frigatebirds.

**MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD BREEDING BIOLOGY**

UUU[Life History]{.underline}UUU

Understanding the breeding biology and life history characteristics of
frigatebirds are vital to a workable management plan for ecotourism. A
brief summary of the biology of frigatebirds is given below.

There are 5 species of frigatebirds in the world. They all nest in
tropical regions. The species of magnificent frigatebirds are found in
the New World: breeding in the eastern Pacific, from Ecuador north to
Baja, Mexico and in the Galapagos; in the Atlantic from Brazil east to
the Cape Verde Islands, through the Caribbean and north to the southern
tip of Florida in the United States. When not breeding the birds spread
out from the colony and are found both to the north and south of their
nesting areas. We do not know exactly where the birds from Barbuda go
when they are not breeding since there have been very few birds banded
for tracking and recovery purposes.

Magnificent frigatebirds nest in colonies. A colony may be as small as
25 nests or as large as thousands of nests. They prefer to build their
nests in trees, frequently using mangrove trees located in lagoons, on
the edge of the water. They will nest in other shrubs and may nest on
the ground if no trees are available. Nests are generally built in close
proximity to each other, often no farther apart than the birds\'
reaching distance around its\' own nest. On Barbuda, courtship may begin
in August and continue through January. Males come in to the colony
first and begin sitting around in courting groups. There will still be
large chicks or flying young present from the previous nesting season.
The males expand their red gular sac (throat pouch) into a large, red
balloon, sit on their territory and wait for females to fly overhead.
When a female flies over they go into action: holding out their wings
and quivering them back and forth in short fast beats, throwing their
head back and waving it back and forth, and whinnying.

If a female finds one of the courting males attractive, she will land
next to him and they began a series of interactions to determine if they
are compatible. Birds need to make a choice in who to mate with the same
as people. Frequently the cause of a nest failure is that the pair did
not get along. They might have different incubation shift lengths, for
instance, and at some point the egg is left unguarded by an adult. When
this happens other frigates will come in and steal nest material,
knocking the egg to the ground. The incompatible pair will each find a
new mate next year. Courting birds go through a series of head
movements. The female will bend her neck around to preen the male's
flanks or stretch out and rub her head against his pouch. The male will
continue his display and the two will "head-shake" at each other.

![](media/image2.png)

Chicks hatch naked (with no feathers) and are totally dependent on their
parents for protection from the hot tropical sun, storms and getting
cold. If adult birds are made to fly from the nests in the heat of the
day, eggs or small chicks can die from the heat in a few minutes. The
same is true of cold and rain: eggs and small chicks can be killed if
they get too cold and adults should not be disturbed off them if it can
be avoided. One of the parents is always on the nest when eggs or small
chicks are present. Adults are very reluctant to leave their nests
during this time.

Newly hatched chicks are fed about twice a day, receiving partly
digested bits of fish from their parents bill. They can barely lift
their wobbly head to swallow the food. Within a few days they have a lot
more strength and begin pecking at their parents bill and calling
plaintively when they want to be fed. By a month of age they are eagerly
jamming their bill down the parents throat to get the fish and squid as
it comes out. Older chicks are fed about once a day and are often left
alone while their parents are out feeding during the day. Chicks are fed
by parents until they are 8 to 10 months old. In magnificent
frigatebirds, males leave the colony once chicks are about 3-4 months
old, leaving females to finish the job of chick rearing. The reasons for
this are unknown.

![](media/image3.png)

By a month of age, chicks have acquired a coat of white down and can
thermoregulate (maintain their body temperature). When they get too hot
they may pant, much as a dog does. They also will sit with their back to
the sun and their head hung down in their own shade to keep cool during
the heat of the day. They spend their days mostly sleeping or preening
their feathers, waiting for their daily meal.

Chicks begin to fly at about 6 months of age. At first they are fairly
clumsy. They do not know about catching fish to feed themselves and will
return to their nest to be fed by their parents until they are 8-10
months old. All their baby down is lost by then, replaced by a coat of
sleek flight feathers. The head and breast are white and the rest of the
body is black. They are called "fledglings" (young flying chicks) and
may be seen flying about the area picking up things, like twigs, with
their bill and apparently \"playing\" with them. This may be an
important exercise for young birds as they learn to fly and use their
bill efficiently in order to survive and catch fish once they are on
their own. After a few months of flying they become much more proficient
at catching fish while on the wing. Often a group of young will play
with a twig together, chasing one bird until it drops the twig,
whereupon another catches it and takes off, only to be chased by his
comrades.

![](media/image4.png)

Frigatebirds eat primarily flying fish and squid which they catch from
near the waters surface while on the wing. They do not dive into the
water as do pelicans and boobies. While, they have a reputation as
pirates for their food stealing habits, this form of getting food from
other birds provides only a small part of their diet. It may only be
important when other food is scarce. To steal food from other birds a
frigate will chase a bird until it regurgitates the food it is carrying.
Frigates are so agile in the air and can maneuver so well that the bird
being chased doesn't have a chance to escape. To lighten its load and
get away from the harassing frigate, the chased bird regurgitates, with
which the frigate gives up the chase and goes after the food.

![](media/image5.png)

Frigatebirds can live to be at least 35 years old. There are records of
banded birds this old. They may live to be as old as 50 years but we do
not know for sure. The highest mortality of birds occurs during the
first year of life while the young birds are learning to feed
themselves. Scientists believe that, at most, about 25 - 25% of the
young raised each year survive the first year of life. Egg loss for this
colony (eggs lost before hatching) has been estimated at 25%, and chick
loss (chicks dying before fledging at 10%. This means that out of 100
eggs laid, only about 65 fledge a chick. Part of the egg loss is due to
new nesting pairs that do not know how to do it right the first time and
part of the loss is due to the fact that the birds nest close together
and fight with each other. When fights occur, eggs easily roll out of
nests.

UUU[Population Status in the Caribbean and Gulf of
Mexico]{.underline}UUU

Many breeding sites in the Caribbean have already been destroyed by
development and introduced predators (goats, cats, dogs, pigs). Many
other seabird nesting sites in the Caribbean are on islands seldom
visited by scientists and thus there are few data on the current status
of many colonies. The status of magnificent frigatebirds in this area
is, thus, not well known, but colonies are gradually disappearing. At
least four nesting sites in the Bahamas and four in Puerto Rico and the
U.S. Virgin Islands have been abandoned in this century (van Halewyn and
Norton 1984). In other areas of the Caribbean, the reports of
frigatebirds present are too vague to determine if they actually nest
there or if it might just be a roosting area. Most deserted colonies
have been abandoned due to human disturbance or development. The
breeding population has steadily decreased since the 16th century. The
colony on Barbuda is one of the largest in the world. It contains an
estimated 25% of the total frigatebird population in the Caribbean.

Colonies purported to exist as of 1984:

UUU[Location]{.underline} UUU UUU[Number of Pairs]{.underline} UUU

Anguilla large colony

Bahamas a few

Barbuda 2,000

British Virgin Islands 500

Cayman Islands 100

Colombia (a couple sites) 40 +

Grenada ?

Guadeloupe ?

Puerto Rico (2-4 sites) 200±

Trinidad a few

Tobago 500±

Venezuela (several sites) 700+

Yucatan, Mexico (in several sites) 3,000+

UUU[Description of colony site and history]{.underline}UUU

The Codrington Lagoon Sanctuary is an area on the NW side of the main
lagoon at Barbuda. The area consists mainly of black mangrove trees. The
trees are sometimes damaged or killed back by hurricanes. In the past,
frigatebirds have preferred to nest in live trees and will avoid dead
trees for nesting if possible.

The frigatebirds birds have nested in the same general area of the
lagoon for the past several years, but move around some within that
area. In most frigatebird colonies the nesting birds move a small
distance every few years. This may be because after a few years of using
the vegetation they kill at least the tops of the trees. This happens
because they pull off the end branches of the trees for nesting material
and because the guano excreted by the birds kills more of the
vegetation. They appear to favor

healthier, bushier trees for nesting. Another reason for moving from one
nesting area to another is human disturbance. If disturbance is not
controlled carefully, the birds will abandon a nesting area.

In the 1940\'s and earlier the colony was in a different location. The
birds used to nest at Man-O-War Island to the south of their current
location, and gradually over 5 years or so, they moved. This means that
the colony could move again. Since Man-o-War Island is closer to the
town of Codrington, the birds may have been disturbed more there than in
their current location and may have moved owing to this disturbance.

![](media/image6.png)

# POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF MONITORING PROGRAM ON BIRDS

UUU[Disturbance Caused by Monitoring Activities]{.underline}

## BE AWARE OF WHAT EFFECT YOU ARE HAVING ON THE BIRDS 

Monitoring a nesting colony does cause some disturbance to the birds and
should be done carefully. Wardens should be aware of what the birds are
doing and try to minimize their disturbance as much as possible. Make an
effort to work quickly and not remain in the area too long. The longer
you remain the more disturbance you cause. Do not take the time to
socialize while in the colony. Do your work and get away from the birds.

Human disturbance is a severe problem to most species of birds when
nesting. Too much disturbance will drive them away from the area to find
safe nesting places elsewhere. They are particularly susceptible to
disturbance during courtship and egg laying periods. At this point they
don't have a lot of time and effort invested in the area and can easily
move to another area. Once incubation has progressed for 2-3 weeks, the
birds tend to stay throughout that nesting season despite being
disturbed. They know they have an egg or chick to take of and they are
driven to stay and do so. However, they may not return to the area to
nest in subsequent years if the disturbance is too much. Any time a bird
is made to fly away at the approach of humans it constitutes a
disturbance and may cause the birds to leave an area.

While an adult bird can fly away when disturbed, they leave their egg or
chick behind. Eggs and small chicks are susceptible to dying from cold
or heat if not protected by adults. Additionally, as adults, leave in a
panic, they knock eggs and small chicks out of the nest, killing them.
Chicks large enough to move about often scramble out of their nest, away
from the source of disturbance. Some of these chicks do not get back to
their nest and starve to death. Fights among the chicks occur as an
intruding chick moves into another\'s territory. Eyes can easily be
poked out by the sharp bill in these fights, which means that bird will
die since it can't feed itself. When adults return to their nest site
after being disturbed, more fights occur as they settle in at their site
and try to protect it from other arriving birds. More eggs and small
chicks can be lost.

![](media/image7.png)Ideally, nesting birds should be left alone if they
are to nest successfully. However, it is important for people to be able
to see and learn about birds in order to enjoy them and care about
preserving them. These two conflicting ideas must be carefully balanced,
otherwise, the colony could be easily destroyed. Remember to be aware of
what the birds doing are while you are in the colony and try to keep
your disturbance to a minimum.

UUU[Signs that a bird is disturbed by human presence]{.underline}UUU

BE AWARE OF WHAT THE BIRDS ARE DOING

Understanding the signs of disturbance in the colony can help you avoid
it as much as possible during monitoring activities. Too much
disturbance will cause the birds to desert an area. When you visit a
bird colony, you are in the birds' homes. Imagine that, every time you
sat down to a nice dinner at home, strangers came walking through your
house to see how you lived and you could not do anything about it.
Before very long, you would not feel very good about living there and
probably would leave. This is exactly the way we make birds feel when we
go into their homes and disturb them too much. Eventually they abandon a
nesting area because of this disturbance.

Some signs to watch for that indicate when a bird is disturbed:

1)  A bird that is resting, sitting down with its head drawn in, will
    suddenly

> put its head up and look at you.

2)  Birds start looking nervously around, turning their head one way and

> then another trying to decide which way they will fly to escape.

3)  Birds sit, looking at you, instead of going about their daily
    business, such as preening, sleeping and feeding young. Anytime a
    bird just sits and stares at you, it is disturbed. Normally they
    would not have to stare at you and would be paying attention to
    their egg, chick or preening.

4\) A bird takes flight as you approach.

UUU[Problems caused to frigatebirds by human disturbance]{.underline}

1)  When adult birds are made to fly from their nests by approaching
    humans,

> eggs or small chicks will die from the heat of the sun in a few
> minutes, or from
>
> being chilled by rain.

2)  Frequently when adults fly away in fright as humans approach, their
    departing panic knocks eggs and small young from the nest and they
    die.

3)  Laughing gulls will eat eggs if adults are disturbed off them by
    people approaching.

4)  If humans disturb the nesting colony too often, causing the birds to
    fly away,

> they will desert the area and move to a new nesting area.

5)  When people have disturbed birds and the birds take flight, other
    frigatebirds

> come in and steal nesting material, knocking eggs or small chicks out
> of
>
> nests. Frigatebirds will also eat the small chicks of their own
> species if they
>
> are left unprotected.

6)  Larger chicks scramble through the bushes to get away from the
    disturbance.

While doing this they are attacked by other large chicks as they go by
them.

Eyes can get poked out by the sharp bill. Some chicks will not get back
to

their nest and will starve to death.

# DIRECTIONS FOR CENSUSING FRIGATEBIRD COLONY

There are three main parts to the monitoring plan:

1)  consists of a "complete colony count" taken five times per year;

2)  summarizing and going over data taken during the counts

3)  monitoring the activities of tour groups and watching for
    unauthorized visitors to the colony.

The object of the complete colony counts is to determine how many nests
are present in the colony. This is done by moving slowly through the
colony and directly counting each nest. The stage of nesting of each
nest should be recorded, and then added up to determine a total number
of nests for the colony. There are sample data sheets at the end of this
report. These can be copied for use in the field. The stage of the
nesting season of each nest is recorded so that you can track the
progression of the season in the colony. If all nests are in the first
stage in both the October and December counts this would mean that there
was a major nesting failure and a lot of birds relaid eggs again later
before the December count. This will also give you a good estimate of
the number of eggs laid during the year: by adding up the number of
adults incubating eggs or small chicks on each count through the year.

UUU[A. Stages of nesting birds to be recorded]{.underline}UUU.

1\) Males courting.

2\) Adults on eggs or small chicks.

3\) Medium sized, downy chicks

4)  Large, feathered chicks.

> Do not count birds just sitting around the colony that are not
> courting or with a nest. These birds are called roosting or loafing
> birds. The number of them that are present is not very important, and
> since none are banded, you never know from count to count if these are
> the same loafing birds or a different group. What you need to know is
> how the annual production of young is doing which means you need to
> count courting birds and birds on nests, or chicks. You need to be
> able to recognize the difference between a bird roosting (sitting
> around) and a bird nesting (on a nest):

UUU[Roosting and Loafing birds versus nesting birds.]{.underline}

1)  Roosting or loafing birds: sit upright, perched on a limb. Often you
    can see their feet wrapped around the branch.

2)  Nesting bird: sits huddled down so breast is low on the nest. Body
    appears horizontal. Their feet are not visible and you can see a
    pile of twigs and brush under them (the nest).

```{=html}
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```
1.  Males courting.

> Count the number of males with full red gular sacs (balloons). These
> birds should not be sitting on eggs yet. A nest may be under
> construction with males bringing twigs in to females. Once a nest is
> built and the egg laid the gular sac begins to diminish in size. Males
> incubating eggs should not be counted as courting males. They come
> under the next category.

2). Adults on eggs or small chicks.

> This is the early stage of the nesting cycle. A nest has been built
> and contains either an egg or a small chick. You cannot tell if an egg
> or small chick is present without disturbing the adult off the nest,
> but it is not necessary to know which of these is present. And it is
> better to not disturb the birds off the nest. Either the male or the
> female may be on the nest. If an adult is not on the nest (has flown
> off) you still need to count the nest in this category if an egg or
> small chick is present. Males may still have the gular sac (throat
> pouch) expanded during the beginning of incubation so be sure to watch
> to determine if they are sitting on a nest, not just courting.

3.) Medium sized, downy chicks.

> Once the chicks are about a month old, they have a covering of white
> down and adults do not have to protect them from the sun and rain so
> closely. These chicks are easily visible as they do not fit under the
> adult anymore. Chick is about 6-8" long and 5-6" across at the
> beginning of this stage and as large as adults (in weight) by the end
> of the stage. During this stage chicks will go from having all white
> down to being half down covered and half covered in black body
> feathers. They are growing their first flight feathers. They will
> gradually reach the next category and you just have to determine which
> state of black flight feather growth to use as a cut off for the next
> category. I count chicks in this category until they are about 50%
> downy and 50% flight feathers.
>
> Chicks in this category are from about 1 months old to 3 months old.
> An adult may be present at the nest next to the chick but that does
> not matter. Just count the chick.

4.) Large chicks.

> Once chicks reach the stage where they are 50% or more covered in
> their first flight feathers they are counted in this category. All
> chicks are the same size as adults although the shape will vary
> somewhat from adult shape in the more downy chicks. Some of the older
> of these chicks will be able to fly. For this reason, it is a good
> idea to try to count the chicks before you are so close that you cause
> them to fly.
>
> White headed birds born during the census year are counted as large
> chicks even though they can fly. They still represent birds born
> during the season you are counting. You may see some birds from
> previous seasons, too, especially in Oct-December, but they should not
> be counted. Generally birds that are a year old are beginning to grow
> some dark feathers in the head and on the breast.

Assigning chicks to the last two categories can be somewhat subjective.
Decide for yourself what you consider to be 50% downy and 50% flight
feathers and you these criteria for assigning chicks to large and medium
categories. As long as you are not counting nests twice, in both
categories, this is fine.

### UUUB.) Equipment Needed

> Binoculars. In general you will be counting nests with your naked eye.
> It

can be difficult to use binoculars to count since the birds nest so
densely. With binoculars you are too close up to keep track of where you
have and have not counted yet. For this reason, you need to pass through
the area you are counting within at least 60 feet. Some areas you will
have to go closer since the water passages through the colony are fairly
narrow. Take a pair of binoculars to check on areas as needed. Sometimes
you cannot get as close as you would like and a pair of binoculars is
useful to see better.

Notebook. There are sample data sheets at the end of this guide. These
can be copied to take in the field. Or you can devise your own method of
recording the data. It is a good idea to have a waterproof cover for any
notes. Carry extra pens, extra data sheets, and a plastic bag to put
them in.

See the sample data sheets at the end of this guide.

UUU[C. Complete colony count]{.underline}UUU.

Taken 5 times per year through the nesting season. Estimated time 4
hours.

Counts should be taken within these dates, or as close to that as
possible:

1-10 October

1-10 December

1-10 February

1-10 April

1-10 June

Proceed slowly through the colony by boat and stop in front of each area
where you can make a count of the number of nests. Select discrete areas
with a defined number of nests that you can easily differentiate from
another area. Your first count you will call Area 1 on the data sheet.
First count all the nests in the area: from all stages of nesting
together. Mark this number in the "Area 1, Total 1 " column ((Figure 1,
Sample data sheet). Then count each category of nest in the area
separately beginning with courting males. Then count adults on nests
with eggs or small chicks. Then count medium sized chicks and last of
all, count the large sized chicks. Record the numbers on the data sheet
as you count each type of nest category in each area. Add up the total
of the four categories and put that number in the "Area 1, Total 2"
column. These two numbers should be within 1-2 nests of each other. If
not, do your total count of the area again. This a good way to cross
check your counts (by doing it twice in different ways).

Pick discrete areas to count so you can keep track of where you are
counting and which birds you have not counted yet. Make sure you go
through the colony in a consistent manner and keep track of which areas
you have counted so you don't miss

# Figure 1.

# 

# FRIGATEBIRD COLONY COUNT DATA SHEET: BARBUDA

Date \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Time
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Day month year Begin End

Person taking census
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Stages of Nesting -

  --------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ----------- ------------- ----------
  Area      Courting   Egg-Sm     Medium      Large Chick **Total 1     **Total 2
            Males      Chick      Chick                   Prelimnry**   Stages**

  1                                                                     

  2                                                                     

  3                                                                     

  4                                                                     

  5                                                                     

  6                                                                     

  7                                                                     

  8                                                                     

  9                                                                     

  10                                                                    

  11                                                                    

  12                                                                    

  13                                                                    

  14                                                                    

  15                                                                    

  16                                                                    

  17                                                                    

  18                                                                    

  19                                                                    

  20                                                                    

  21                                                                    

  22                                                                    

                                                                        

                                                                        
  --------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ----------- ------------- ----------

TOTAL \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Total Count

Number of dead birds seen:

## NOTES: on vegetation, etc., or add additional count Areas.

any and don't count an area twice. It is easy to get confused as you go
through the twisted channels.

Do not worry about being absolutely, totally accurate if it means you
have to disturb the birds greatly. You may not be able to see a few
nests that are down behind some others. If you are only missing 10-30
nests total that is OK. If you think you are missing more nests than
that, you need to get a better vantage point to see from and count. But
you will need to judge how badly you are disturbing the birds. If there
is a lot of scrambling and fighting among the birds you may do more
damage than it is worth. Just be observant -- notice if eggs are getting
knocked out of nests or if larger chicks are scrambling away from their
nests. If you are causing too much commotion, move away and think of
another plan, or estimate the number of nests you are missing.

While doing the counts in the colony you should watch for anything
unusual and make notes about it.

1)  Keep an eye out for dead chicks and record how many you see.

2)  Note any important changes in the vegetation. If a hurricane has
    been through and killed a lot of trees write that down.

3)  Write down anything that is different or unusual.

### UUUCount Analyses

Once you are done and back in Codrington, add up the total down each
column and get a total number of nests (Fig. 1, sample completed data
sheet). Then transfer the total counts to the appropriate places in on
the "Annual Summary" data sheet (Fig. 2). On this sheet under the first
column "Count Data", enter the date of the count. Number 1 is for the
first count of the year which should be taken in early Oct. Then enter
the appropriate total for nest age category (such as medium chicks) in
each column. At the end of the nesting season these data will be
summarized and also entered on the "Across Years Summary" data sheet
(Fig. 3).

**ANALYSIS OF COUNT DATA, ANNUAL SUMMARY AND ACROSS-YEARS SUMMARY**

An annual summary should be written up in August- September, or as soon
as the last count of the nesting season is done. The data taken on each
individual count throughout the nesting season will be added up on the
"Annual Summary" data sheet

(Fig. 2). Observations and notes at the bottom of the page from the 5
"Colony Counts" during the nesting season are also transferred to the
"Annual Summary" data sheet. This will enable people to keep track of
changes in the colony from year to year.

By watching these changes from year to year you can tell if the colony
is decreasing in

size which would be cause for concern. A decreased number of nesting
birds one year may not be a problem, but if there is a steady decline
over years then something is wrong.

**Figure 2.**

# 

# ANNUAL SUMMARY OF FRIGATEBIRD COLONY COUNT DATA SHEETS: BARBUDA

Date \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Person compiling summary
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

day month year

#  Summary Counts 

+----------+-------+--------+------+--------+----------+------------+
| Count    | Cou   | Eggs   | Me   | Large  | Number   | Total      |
| Date     | rting | or     | dium | Chicks | of Dead  | across     |
|          | Males | Small  | Ch   |        | Chicks   |            |
|          |       | Chicks | icks |        | Found    | (Not incl. |
|          |       |        |      |        |          | dead cks)  |
+----------+-------+--------+------+--------+----------+------------+
| 1        |       |        |      |        |          |            |
+----------+-------+--------+------+--------+----------+------------+
| 2        |       |        |      |        |          |            |
+----------+-------+--------+------+--------+----------+------------+
| 3        |       |        |      |        |          |            |
+----------+-------+--------+------+--------+----------+------------+
| 4        |       |        |      |        |          |            |
+----------+-------+--------+------+--------+----------+------------+
| 5        |       |        |      |        |          |            |
+----------+-------+--------+------+--------+----------+------------+
|          |       |        |      |        |          |            |
+----------+-------+--------+------+--------+----------+------------+
| Totals   |       |        |      |        |          |            |
+----------+-------+--------+------+--------+----------+------------+

**NOTES**: summarize what is said on each count data sheet. Were there
hurricanes? Did vegetation change?

At the end of the year the columns in this "Annual Summary " data sheet
should be totaled and important notes from the bottom of the "Colony
Count" data sheets transferred to the bottom of this page. Use
additional pages as necessary.

Also, at the end of the year, enter that years data on the "Across-Years
Summary" data sheet (Fig. 3). It is very important to monitor the number
of nesting birds from year to year and the best way to do that is by
being able to see the annual numbers together on one data sheet.

The annual summary should include:

1)  Table of each of the five "Colony Counts" during the year (Fig. 1).

2)  "Annual Summary" table for all colony counts completed (Fig. 2).

3)  Data entered on the "Across Years Summary" data sheet (Fig. 3)

4)  Summary of the number of dead chicks observed.

5)  Notes on any major nesting failures observed.

6)  Notes on any unusual weather conditions: occurrence of a hurricane,
    drought, etc. and the effect of these on the nesting vegetation.

7)  Notes on the effects of any unusual weather on the birds and nesting
    success.

8)  Observations on any predators in the colony like cats.

9)  Notes on any human disturbance observed.

10) Recommendations for repair of the barrier restricting visitors.

11) Estimate of the number of visitors to the colony during the year.

There are sample forms of this data sheet at the end of the report (as
well as the ones presented in Figures1-3), that can be copied for use in
the field. It is always advisable to make a copy of the years data
sheets and summaries, so that you have two copies of each years data
sheets. Each copy should be kept in a different place. This will protect
your data in case of fire or loss of one set. The counts can't be done
over again if the data are lost months later so this is very important.

# MONITORING FOR DISTURBANCE

There should be regular patrols of the colony by a warden to be sure
that no unauthorized disturbance is taking place. This person should
also check on the condition of the barriers established to mark the
limits of approach to the colony.

The warden's job is to protect the birds from undue disturbance by
unauthorized people. Patrols of the colony should not be on a set,
predictable schedule, but should take place somewhat randomly so that
tour guides will not know exactly when to expect them. During patrols
the warden should watch for people disturbing the birds. People on tours
should not be landing in the colony and getting out of the tour boat.
They should not be crossing the barrier established to let them know how
close they can approach the birds. People should not be approaching the
birds closer than 50-60 feet away. If the boats are going through a
narrow channel they

**Figure 3.**

**ACROSS-YEARS SUMMARY DATA SHEET FOR FRIGATEBIRD COLONY**

YEARS -

+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| *       | **Age      | **        | **        | **19      | **20      |
| *Date** | Category** | 1997-98** | 1998-99** | 99-2000** | 00-2001** |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| October | Courting   |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ##         |           |           |           |           |
|         | #### Egg/S |           |           |           |           |
|         | mall Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ###### Me  |           |           |           |           |
|         | dium Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ####### L  |           |           |           |           |
|         | arge Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | **TOTAL**  |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         |            |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| D       | Courting   |           |           |           |           |
| ecember |            |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ##         |           |           |           |           |
|         | #### Egg/S |           |           |           |           |
|         | mall Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ###### Me  |           |           |           |           |
|         | dium Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ####### L  |           |           |           |           |
|         | arge Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | #####      |           |           |           |           |
|         | ###  TOTAL |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         |            |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| F       | Courting   |           |           |           |           |
| ebruary |            |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ##         |           |           |           |           |
|         | #### Egg/S |           |           |           |           |
|         | mall Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ###### Me  |           |           |           |           |
|         | dium Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ####### L  |           |           |           |           |
|         | arge Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | **TOTAL**  |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         |            |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| April   | Courting   |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ##         |           |           |           |           |
|         | #### Egg/S |           |           |           |           |
|         | mall Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ###### Me  |           |           |           |           |
|         | dium Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ####### L  |           |           |           |           |
|         | arge Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | **TOTAL**  |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         |            |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| June    | Courting   |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ##         |           |           |           |           |
|         | #### Egg/S |           |           |           |           |
|         | mall Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ###### Me  |           |           |           |           |
|         | dium Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | ####### L  |           |           |           |           |
|         | arge Chick |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         | **TOTAL**  |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         |            |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         |            |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         |            |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         |            |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|         |            |           |           |           |           |
+---------+------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+

may not be able to stay that far away from the colony for short parts of
the trip.

Barriers around the colony to let tours know how close they can approach
the birds should be maintained in good condition. It is preferable to
have signs posting the colony that tell people to stay a certain
distance away. If there is a good place you may decide that you want to
let people off on a small islet to stand and watch the birds.

![](media/image8.png)