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Using linear regression to measure bird abundance

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Abstract

This study investigated methods for identifying daily incidence rates for bird species. It focused on relationships between incidence rates, site and season. We used sightings of 23 common resident species routinely reported every month from January 2004 to December 2007 at seven wetland locations in the Thale Noi non-hunting area of southern Thailand. Our findings revealed that the log-linear model gives a quite satisfactory fit, so it appears a suitable type of model for bird abundance. On taking logarithms of the incidence rates though, the zero counts must be replaced by an appropriate constant. Our model suggests that Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) was found at the Thale Noi non-hunting area with the highest incidence rate. In contrast, we found a low mean of model outputs for Lesser Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna javanica) relative to the mean in the data, and this species was not observed on at least 25 % or 3 days per year. These data had a low number of zeros and a large number of various species. Therefore, we recognize a remark on “what is being counted” that it is important to reasonably explain the species abundance in terms of statistical and ecological approaches.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from the Office of the Higher Education Commission. We are grateful for the contributions of Nakin Kaewboonsong and the staff of Thale Noi Non-hunting Area, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, who provided the raw data. Professor Don McNeil is acknowledged for his valuable suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, Pattani, 94000, Thailand

    Kua Rittiboon

  2. Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, Pattani, 94000, Thailand

    Phattrawan Tongkumchum

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  1. Kua Rittiboon
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  2. Phattrawan Tongkumchum
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Correspondence to Phattrawan Tongkumchum.

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Rittiboon, K., Tongkumchum, P. Using linear regression to measure bird abundance. Environ Dev Sustain 19, 1003–1013 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-016-9785-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-016-9785-8

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