An accurate and efficient semiautomated approach to counting birds: Estimating Northern Gannet colony size in Canada
Abstract Improving the efficiency of population monitoring and conservation programs is beneficial, so long as the accuracy of the information collected is not diminished. The need to expeditiously estimate the population size of seabird colonies is especially acute during mass mortality events when...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Ecosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70183 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849764596265517056 |
|---|---|
| author | Jacob Walker Trevor S. Avery Francis St‐Pierre Jean‐François Rail Danielle E. A. Quinn Matthew English Stephanie Avery‐Gomm |
| author_facet | Jacob Walker Trevor S. Avery Francis St‐Pierre Jean‐François Rail Danielle E. A. Quinn Matthew English Stephanie Avery‐Gomm |
| author_sort | Jacob Walker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Improving the efficiency of population monitoring and conservation programs is beneficial, so long as the accuracy of the information collected is not diminished. The need to expeditiously estimate the population size of seabird colonies is especially acute during mass mortality events when aerial surveys can provide information quickly on the extent of effects and total mortality. In 2022, the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus caused outbreaks at most Northern Gannet Morus bassanus colonies worldwide, killing tens of thousands of gannets in eastern Canada. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy and efficiency of a semiautomated method using the free software CountEm for counting Northern Gannet nests by reanalyzing 13 years of aerial photographs from past population surveys (2009–2020 and 2022). The CountEm program uses a geometric sampling method which overlays a grid of quadrats onto photographs in which the user counts objects of interest. We developed a protocol that generated population estimates that are accurate enough to support population management objectives (i.e., within 2%–5% of manual counts) and outline additional ways to improve CountEm accuracy. Additionally, using CountEm was 1100% more efficient than manually counting based on counting time. Since CountEm relies on human identification of objects to be counted, our methods, results, and conclusions are transferable to any taxa that form large aggregations and can be identified and counted in photographs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a363f0712a1648fd9b03c9865f32e1db |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2150-8925 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosphere |
| spelling | doaj-art-a363f0712a1648fd9b03c9865f32e1db2025-08-20T03:05:06ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252025-02-01162n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.70183An accurate and efficient semiautomated approach to counting birds: Estimating Northern Gannet colony size in CanadaJacob Walker0Trevor S. Avery1Francis St‐Pierre2Jean‐François Rail3Danielle E. A. Quinn4Matthew English5Stephanie Avery‐Gomm6Department of Biology Acadia University Wolfville Nova Scotia CanadaDepartment of Biology Acadia University Wolfville Nova Scotia CanadaCanadian Wildlife Service—Québec Region Environment and Climate Change Canada Québec City Québec CanadaCanadian Wildlife Service—Québec Region Environment and Climate Change Canada Québec City Québec CanadaDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics Acadia University Wolfville Nova Scotia CanadaCanadian Wildlife Service—Atlantic Region Environment and Climate Change Canada Dartmouth Nova Scotia CanadaWildlife and Landscape Science Directorate Environment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa Ontario CanadaAbstract Improving the efficiency of population monitoring and conservation programs is beneficial, so long as the accuracy of the information collected is not diminished. The need to expeditiously estimate the population size of seabird colonies is especially acute during mass mortality events when aerial surveys can provide information quickly on the extent of effects and total mortality. In 2022, the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus caused outbreaks at most Northern Gannet Morus bassanus colonies worldwide, killing tens of thousands of gannets in eastern Canada. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy and efficiency of a semiautomated method using the free software CountEm for counting Northern Gannet nests by reanalyzing 13 years of aerial photographs from past population surveys (2009–2020 and 2022). The CountEm program uses a geometric sampling method which overlays a grid of quadrats onto photographs in which the user counts objects of interest. We developed a protocol that generated population estimates that are accurate enough to support population management objectives (i.e., within 2%–5% of manual counts) and outline additional ways to improve CountEm accuracy. Additionally, using CountEm was 1100% more efficient than manually counting based on counting time. Since CountEm relies on human identification of objects to be counted, our methods, results, and conclusions are transferable to any taxa that form large aggregations and can be identified and counted in photographs.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70183avian influenzacensusCountEmHPAIseabird colonysemiautomated counting |
| spellingShingle | Jacob Walker Trevor S. Avery Francis St‐Pierre Jean‐François Rail Danielle E. A. Quinn Matthew English Stephanie Avery‐Gomm An accurate and efficient semiautomated approach to counting birds: Estimating Northern Gannet colony size in Canada Ecosphere avian influenza census CountEm HPAI seabird colony semiautomated counting |
| title | An accurate and efficient semiautomated approach to counting birds: Estimating Northern Gannet colony size in Canada |
| title_full | An accurate and efficient semiautomated approach to counting birds: Estimating Northern Gannet colony size in Canada |
| title_fullStr | An accurate and efficient semiautomated approach to counting birds: Estimating Northern Gannet colony size in Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | An accurate and efficient semiautomated approach to counting birds: Estimating Northern Gannet colony size in Canada |
| title_short | An accurate and efficient semiautomated approach to counting birds: Estimating Northern Gannet colony size in Canada |
| title_sort | accurate and efficient semiautomated approach to counting birds estimating northern gannet colony size in canada |
| topic | avian influenza census CountEm HPAI seabird colony semiautomated counting |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70183 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jacobwalker anaccurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT trevorsavery anaccurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT francisstpierre anaccurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT jeanfrancoisrail anaccurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT danielleeaquinn anaccurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT matthewenglish anaccurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT stephanieaverygomm anaccurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT jacobwalker accurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT trevorsavery accurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT francisstpierre accurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT jeanfrancoisrail accurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT danielleeaquinn accurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT matthewenglish accurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada AT stephanieaverygomm accurateandefficientsemiautomatedapproachtocountingbirdsestimatingnortherngannetcolonysizeincanada |